Elgin council supports changes for police candidates

Elgin City Council members unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Elgin Police Department's desire to lower requirements from a bachelor's degree to 60 hours of college for certain police officer candidates.

The 60 credit hours - typically equivalent to an associate degree - would apply to veterans, current police officers, current community service officers, and those who put in at least four years and extensive community service hours into Elgin's Police Explorer program, Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said at the city council's committee of the whole meeting Wednesday.

"We want to give credit to other forms of service, not just college," he said.

Officers would still need a four-year degree to be promoted to lieutenant, he said.

The city's board of fire and police commissioners has a different take.

Police Explorers could get extra points in the hiring process, but should continue to be required to have a bachelor's degree, commission chairwoman Mary Camacho said.

"You don't just learn academic skills (in college)," she said. "The three of us (commissioners) all agree, we really do want a bachelor's degree for anyone other than the military, prior police service and community service officers."

Corporation Counsel William Cogley said the city council has final say, and could make the change via ordinance.

Elgin is among a minority of suburban police departments that require a bachelor's degree, officials said.

The city shouldn't lose promising youth like Police Explorer graduates to other departments, Councilman Rich Dunne said.

"If it's your recommendation and you're the professional, then I think it's the right thing to do," Councilman Terry Gavin said to Swoboda.

Councilwoman Tish Powell pointed out the bachelor's degree requirement was implemented years ago to bring more professionalism and better writing skills to the department.

"While you'd think a bachelor's degree would alleviate that, that's not always the case," Swoboda said, adding the department is looking at better training in police report writing.

Increasing diversity within the police department would be a byproduct of including Police Explorers in the proposed change, Swoboda said. Two-thirds of Explorers speak Spanish and half are female, he said.