NJOfficer

The Englewood Police Department does not have an active hiring list and a new hiring process has not yet been announced. Historically, a hiring list will remain active for 3 years. This post is for informational purposes only.

In May 2019, the Englewood City Council passed ordinance 19-02 (listed below) creating a resident-first hiring preference for the police and fire departments. In order to qualify as a resident, one must establish bona fide permanent residence 12 months PRIOR to application for employment.

Applicants who successfully complete the established testing and/or protocol in place for such a position will be separated into 4 tiers based on residency. All of a tier's applicants must be exhausted prior to moving on to the next numerical tier. Tier 1 will be Englewood residents, Tier 2 will be other Bergen County residents, Tier 3 will be other New Jersey residents, and Tier 4 will be all other applicants.

Current contract is on PERC.



CITY OF ENGLEWOOD
ORDINANCE NO. 19-02

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF ENGLEWOOD TO ESTABLISH CHAPTER 68 SETTING FORTH PERSONAL RESIDENCY PREFERENCES FOR HIRING IN THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS

WHEREAS, New Jersey Statutes authorize a municipality to enact residency preference requirements for its Police and Fire Department Officers and employees; and

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Englewood deems it necessary to amend the City Code by Establishing Chapter 68 Entitled “Residency Preference” to address residency requirements;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED, by the City Council of the City of Englewood, County of Bergen, State of New Jersey that residency preference for hiring in the Police and Fire Department as set forth in the City Code of the City of Englewood is hereby amended and supplemented as follows:

Chapter 68. Residency Preference

Article I. Residency Preference for the City Police and Fire Departments

§68-1 Residency Preferred

Except as otherwise provided by law, all Candidates appointed to positions of employment by the City Police and Fire Departments subsequent to the date of this Ordinance shall be classified according to residency. Bona fide residents of the City of Englewood shall receive preference in hiring over all other residency classes provided they successfully complete the established testing and/or protocol in place for such a position.

§68-2 Bona fide residents defined

A bona fide resident for the purpose of this article is defined as a person having permanent domicile within the City or residency class for a period of 12 months prior to application for employment, and one which has not been adopted with the intention of taking up or claiming a previous residence required outside of the boundaries of the City.

§68-3 Bona fide residency verification

Where residence requirements have been established, residence means a single legal residence. The following standards shall be used in determining legal residence:
1. Whether the locations in question are owned or rented;
2. Whether time actually spent in the claimed residence exceeds that of other locations;
3. Whether the relationship among those persons living in the claimed residence is closer than those with whom the individual lives elsewhere. If an individual claims a parent's residence because of separation from his or her spouse, a court order or other evidence of separation may be requested;
4. Whether, if the residence requirement of the anticipated or actual appointment was eliminated, the individual would be likely to remain in the claimed residence;
5. Whether the residence recorded on a driver's license, motor vehicle registration, or voter registration card and other documents is the same as the claimed legal residence. Post office box numbers shall not be acceptable; and
6. Whether the school district attended by child(ren) living with the individual is the same as the claimed residence.
7. Unless otherwise specified, residency must be met prior to the application for date for the examination in order for a candidate to be given preference based on residency.

§68-4 Insufficient qualified residents

Whenever the City Manager shall determine there is not a sufficient number of qualified Englewood residents for available specific positions or employments, the City Manager shall through the director of personnel classify all qualified applicants, preferentially according to bona fide residency in the following order:

Class 1 Residents of the City of Englewood
Class 2 Other residents of Bergen County
Class 3 Other residents of the state of New Jersey.
Class 4 All other applicants

All appointments and hiring shall be made in the order listed above. The City Manager shall first appoint all those in Class 1, and then those in each succeeding class in the order listed above, and shall appoint a person in any such class only to a position or employment remaining after all qualified applicants in the preceding class or classes have been appointed or have declined an offer of employment. The preference established by this section shall not diminish reduce or affect the preferences granted pursuant to any other provision of law including but not limited to veteran preference requirements.

§68-5 Positions and employments requiring special talents or skills

In the event the City Manager advises the Governing Body that particular positions or employments require special talents with skills such as specialized knowledge, abilities, licenses, or unique training, which are necessary for the operations of the City, then the City Manager may fill the same without preference to residents of the City of Englewood. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon passage and publication as required by law.

ORDINANCE #19-02

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF ENGLEWOOD TO ESTABLISH CHAPTER 68 SETTING FORTH PERSONAL RESIDENCY PREFERENCES FOR HIRING IN THE POLICE AND FIRE

DEPARTMENTS

RECORD OF VOTE
FIRST READING DATE:
COUNCIL MOTION VOTE
Cobb Y
Cohen Y
Glynn Y
Hamer Y
Rosenberg X Y
DATE PUBLISHED IN THE RECORD:
DATES PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD: May 21, 2019
DATE SECOND READING HELD: May 21, 2019
COUNCIL MOTION OPEN MOTION CLOSE MOTION ADOPT
Cobb
Cohen
Glynn
Hamer
Rosenberg
Y=YES N=OPPOSED A=ABSTAINED AB=ABSENT
PRESENTED TO MAYOR:
APPROVED _________
REJECTED _________ (VETO) ______________________________________

MAYOR MICHAEL WILDES
I do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and exact copy of an Ordinance adopted and approved by the Mayor and Council of the City of Englewood.

______________________________________
Yancy Wazirmas, RMC
City Clerk

I assume Englewood is a civil service department?

Njjarhead03 wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 7:47 pm I assume Englewood is a civil service department?

It is not. Therefore, they can create their own hiring standards (as outlined above).

Englewood is not a Civil Service department, but the ordinance essentially emulates one.

The ordinance was passed more than partially due to some outspoken residents and other groups complaining a certain demographic of city residents have not been hired in sufficient number as police or firefighters over the last several years. The lack of hiring was due to lower overall ranking on the hiring lists after the written test/physical test/interview/etc.

The most recent FD hiring processes even allotted additional points to applicants based upon certain factors such as education (Bachelor's 3 points, Associate's 1 point), military service (3 points) and residency (6 points). 6 points were allotted to an applicant's overall score, simply for being an Englewood resident. Residency was the single highest additional point earning factor, but it was apparently still insufficient for the outspoken residents and other groups.


https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ ... 765392002/

https://thepressgroup.net/resident-pref ... es-voiced/

https://thepressgroup.net/city-fd-hirin ... ents-bias/


In previous decades, Englewood police/fire hires were often hooks and connections. In the past several hiring processes for both departments, the city conducted much more equitable and legitimate hiring processes and non-residents, predominantly, achieved higher overall scores and placement on the respective hiring lists and were therefore hired.

Due to the new ordinance, an Englewood resident that achieves the previous minimum passing score for the hiring process (the city has not yet announced a new minimum passing score for hiring processes), a 70%, equating to an academic “C-”, would be hired over a Teaneck/Tenafly/Leonia resident who scored 100%. In effect, 70% > 100%.


The FD and PD are both currently grossly understaffed, with many more planned and potential retirements in both departments expected over the next several years. Mass hiring is inevitable.

Please encourage qualified potential applicants to move to Englewood. The entirety of the city deserves to be served by the best applicants available, regardless of hometown.


FD top base pay is over $100,000+ (not on PERC) and PD top base pay is 8 steps to $147,085 (as per contract on PERC)

NJofficer201 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 10:39 am Englewood is not a Civil Service department, but the ordinance essentially emulates one.

The ordinance was passed more than partially due to some outspoken residents and other groups complaining a certain demographic of city residents have not been hired in sufficient number as police or firefighters over the last several years. The lack of hiring was due to lower overall ranking on the hiring lists after the written test/physical test/interview/etc.

The most recent FD hiring processes even allotted additional points to applicants based upon certain factors such as education (Bachelor's 3 points, Associate's 1 point), military service (3 points) and residency (6 points). 6 points were allotted to an applicant's overall score, simply for being an Englewood resident. Residency was the single highest additional point earning factor, but it was apparently still insufficient for the outspoken residents and other groups.


https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ ... 765392002/

https://thepressgroup.net/resident-pref ... es-voiced/

https://thepressgroup.net/city-fd-hirin ... ents-bias/


In previous decades, Englewood police/fire hires were often hooks and connections. In the past several hiring processes for both departments, the city conducted much more equitable and legitimate hiring processes and non-residents, predominantly, achieved higher overall scores and placement on the respective hiring lists and were therefore hired.

Due to the new ordinance, an Englewood resident that achieves the previous minimum passing score for the hiring process (the city has not yet announced a new minimum passing score for hiring processes), a 70%, equating to an academic “C-”, would be hired over a Teaneck/Tenafly/Leonia resident who scored 100%. In effect, 70% > 100%.


The FD and PD are both currently grossly understaffed, with many more planned and potential retirements in both departments expected over the next several years. Mass hiring is inevitable.

Please encourage qualified potential applicants to move to Englewood. The entirety of the city deserves to be served by the best applicants available, regardless of hometown.


FD top base pay is over $100,000+ (not on PERC) and PD top base pay is 8 steps to $147,085 (as per contract on PERC)

Any idea on when they’re planning on hiring or announcing a written exam?

Jaram wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:36 pm

NJofficer201 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 10:39 am Englewood is not a Civil Service department, but the ordinance essentially emulates one.

The ordinance was passed more than partially due to some outspoken residents and other groups complaining a certain demographic of city residents have not been hired in sufficient number as police or firefighters over the last several years. The lack of hiring was due to lower overall ranking on the hiring lists after the written test/physical test/interview/etc.

The most recent FD hiring processes even allotted additional points to applicants based upon certain factors such as education (Bachelor's 3 points, Associate's 1 point), military service (3 points) and residency (6 points). 6 points were allotted to an applicant's overall score, simply for being an Englewood resident. Residency was the single highest additional point earning factor, but it was apparently still insufficient for the outspoken residents and other groups.


https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ ... 765392002/

https://thepressgroup.net/resident-pref ... es-voiced/

https://thepressgroup.net/city-fd-hirin ... ents-bias/


In previous decades, Englewood police/fire hires were often hooks and connections. In the past several hiring processes for both departments, the city conducted much more equitable and legitimate hiring processes and non-residents, predominantly, achieved higher overall scores and placement on the respective hiring lists and were therefore hired.

Due to the new ordinance, an Englewood resident that achieves the previous minimum passing score for the hiring process (the city has not yet announced a new minimum passing score for hiring processes), a 70%, equating to an academic “C-”, would be hired over a Teaneck/Tenafly/Leonia resident who scored 100%. In effect, 70% > 100%.


The FD and PD are both currently grossly understaffed, with many more planned and potential retirements in both departments expected over the next several years. Mass hiring is inevitable.

Please encourage qualified potential applicants to move to Englewood. The entirety of the city deserves to be served by the best applicants available, regardless of hometown.


FD top base pay is over $100,000+ (not on PERC) and PD top base pay is 8 steps to $147,085 (as per contract on PERC)

Any idea on when they’re planning on hiring or announcing a written exam?

No. Due to the economy and Covid-19, testing/hiring will probably be pushed off. The delay is actually helpful to non-resident, qualified, potential applicants.

In order to attain the resident preference described above, an applicant must establish an Englewood residence 12 months prior to submission of said application. If anyone has future interest in applying to Englewood PD/FD, the person should move to Englewood as soon as possible. There are affordable apartments within the city.

Chief stated in recent City of Englewood budget meeting he and the city manager are planning on conducting a hiring process. Department is short about 15 officers.

Past processes generated hiring lists that were active for 3 years. The last hiring list expired in Spring 2020.

Expired contract is on PERC.

Budget meeting link. Go to 58 minute mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEsm1PcXoBY