A Follow Up: Promotional Love Affair

     The most recent story posted here at TFoTM shed light on a promotional testing process that takes place in police departments throughout New Jersey.  Yesterday the Star Ledger posted a story about the NJ/NY Port Authority's "exam scam" that will ultimately cost employees their jobs.  Ever wonder how candidates sitting for a promotional exam obtain the questions in advance?  Here is one way.........  
     "Three senior Port Authority police officials are being forced out of their jobs because they failed to take action against the department’s internal affairs commander after learning he had taken cell phone pictures of an upcoming police sergeants’ exam last June." 
     "Agency officials have said publicly they were concerned the commander may have sought to provide test answers to job applicants."
     "......three sources identified the senior department officials who are losing their jobs as Deputy Chief Keith Walcott and inspectors Nicholas Tagarelli and Brian Sullivan. All three rank above Ferrigno.
"The three of them were forced to resign as a result of the sergeants test exam scandal," said one of the the people familiar with the probe."
Go to the following Internet link to read Star Ledger story.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/3_port_authority_officials_bei.html
     As described in yesterday's TFoTM story, police officers can attend "study groups" and classes, for a fee, to prep for promotional exams within their local police department.  Officers will spend thousands of dollars to get a "leg up" on other officers in their department however, it does not guarantee the promotion in a police department like Westfield that does not follow civil service guidelines with regards to promotions. 
     In a police department such as Westfield, the police chief has the "right of three" when deciding who to promote.  Unlike civil service towns, Westfield's police chief can promote anyone ranked in the top three when final scores from a testing process are revealed. 
     There are those among the rank and file at the W.P.D. that believe it helps to be the police chief's fishing buddy, chauffeur, or "go-to guy," when the time comes for promotions.  Being a chauffeur can be considered on the job training for future employment; just ask soon to be retired police chief John M. Parizeau.
     In Westfield, officers ranking number one following a promotional testing process have been skipped over before and the practice will continue as long as the police chief has sole discretion on who gets a gold badge and who does not.

The Beatle's sang that money "Can't Buy Me Love."

In the Westfield Police Department, it can potentially buy a promotion........... IF..............the police chief loves you.