Chicago Sun-Times
CHICAGO — Two Chicago Police officers are suing the city and Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy’s office, claiming a paperwork error has unfairly kept them from being promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Kenneth D. Fowler and Jarrod L. Smith filed the suit Monday in Cook County Circuit Court. Both claim they were among the top 200 scorers among thousands of test-takers when the city last offered the police sergeants exam in 2006, according to the suit.
They had been scheduled to take a five-week training class required to assume the rank of sergeant starting Monday, they claim. But neither is allowed to attend because they claim the city’s Human Relations Department lost their college transcripts, and refused to re-schedule them to take the class after they hand-delivered the documents Friday.
Monday’s suit seeks an injunction allowing Fowler and Smith to immediately join the training class, and be promoted to the rank of sergeant once they successfully complete it.
The Chicago Police Department has an authorized strength of 1,180 sergeants, but 104 of those jobs are unfilled.
A new class of 50 sergeants was expected to enter Monday’s training, with another class expected by the end of the year.
Chicago will hold its first police sergeants exam in seven years in 2013, expected to be one of the largest sergeants exams held anywhere in the world.
A spokesperson for the city’s Law Department could not be reached for comment Monday evening.
Copyright 2012 Chicago Sun-Times