4 take Warren police chief test, results expected next week

Staff report

WARREN

All four people who signed up to take the civil- service test to be the next Warren police chief took the test Wednesday afternoon, and results are expected in about a week.

The three men and one woman spent 21/2 hours taking the 150-question multiple-choice test in the Operations Department offices on Main Avenue Southwest.

Sue Burns, civil service commission clerk, said she hopes the results will be available for the next civil service commission meeting, 8 a.m. Wednesday in the Data Processing Department behind City Hall.

The four candidates are Capt. Janice Gilmore and lieutenants Martin Gargas, Robert Massucci and Eric Merkel. Captain is the highest rank below chief; lieutenant is below that. Two other captains and one lieutenant chose not to take the test.

The test covered material in six books — police department collective-bargaining agreement, city ordinances, “Legal Guide for Police,” “Police Administration,” “Proactive Police Management,” and “Rules and Regulations/Policies and Procedures of the Warren Police Department.”

The test takers were made aware of the books and were allowed to dispute the relevance of them before the test.

They also can challenge questions and answers from the test after the results are known.

Daniel T. Clancy & Associates Inc. of Cleveland designed the test.

Although some Warren police chiefs in the past have undergone an interview process in addition to the written test, the Warren Civil Service Commission, a three-member body, decided to use the test only for this vacancy, in part to reduce the cost of the process.

Police Chief Tim Bowers is retiring in June.