Document text
No college? Sheriff might hire you anyway By JULIE SWENSEN and JIM DAVIS Phil Cicero was one of the last Jackson County sheriff's deputies hired before the department started requiring most applicants to have college course work about eight years ago. Cicero, 29, who went into the U.S. Army instead of attending college, probably wouldn't even have tried for the job had the requirement been in place. "If I had seen the college requirement when I saw the application, I wouldn't have put (my application) in," Cicero said. Since 1991, the department has required two years of college or criminal justice work experience. Now, however, the department is changing that standard, accepting applicants who possess any college or responsible work experience equal to two years. Applicants still must be at least 21 years old and have a clean background. The change comes because fewer qualified people are applying for police jobs, said Sheriff Bob Kennedy. Only about 40 people showed up at the most recent police test, compared with as many as 200 in years past. Of that number, two passed the test for corrections, and one for patrol. The sheriff's office can't fill its current vacancies -- five in corrections and one in patrol -- although one applicant is undergoing a background check for the patrol job. A deputy's starting salary is about $16 an hour -- $2,560 a month. A Salem psychologist who interviews police applicants recommended the change, Kennedy said. If applicants can't afford college, but developed "decent" reading and writing skills in high school and have two years of responsible work experience and qualities such as integrity, motivation and a command presence, "you're doing yourselves a disservice not to test them," Kennedy recalled the psychologist as saying. He agreed. Kennedy said it bothers him "a little bit" that the standards are being changed. He said he's a "big believer" that police and corrections officers should be college-educated. But he understands the philosophy that he should look at people who've held responsible jobs. The sheriff's office will continue to encourage employees to attend college, and will try to find ways to reimburse them for tuition, Kennedy said. The number of applicants has decreased since 1996, a decline Kennedy attributes to low unemployment and the job market. People are interested in other professions, such as computers, Kennedy said. Medford police chief Eric Mellgren said his department is seeing the same trend. About 120 people applied for the latest opening, Mellgren said. In December 1994, 255 people applied for a police job, according to the city's human resources department. Mellgren said it remains difficult to consistently attract the best applicants. "We still have good applicants, we just have to work a lot harder to get them," he said. While the jobs are open longer now, the police department has been recruiting for a long time, and its vacancies are close to being filled. Mellgren attributed the drop in applicants to people "self-selecting" themselves out of the process because of the high standards expected of cops. Potential hires undergo extensive background checks and questioning. A Medford police officer, who makes $2,870 a month to start, doesn't have to have a college education. But it's desired, and Mellgren said he thought most officers have one. An applicant must have a high school diploma, the state requirement. Someone without police experience can be just as attractive a candidate, because "we don't want people with a lot of preconceived ideas," and they can be trained, Mellgren said. Sheriff's Capt. Ed Mayer said his department's change is a good one, because the department was turning away qualified people with "good life experiences." Cicero agreed that the change is good. When he got out of the military, he needed a job to support his family. He said there are other people like him who came from a military background who have been eliminated because they didn't meet the college or criminal justice background. "It's hard to find people who are able to fit into this type of work because you do deal with a fair amount of stress and dangerous situations," Cicero said. As part of the sheriff's office's effort to find qualified applicants, it held a job fair last weekend at the Jackson County Expo. Only a handful of people showed. Those interested in applying for a deputy position may pick up an application at the county's Employment Division, 119 N. Oakdale Ave., Medford. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA