Ald. Medrano Demands Review of Promotions

Charging racial bias, Latino Ald. Ambrosio Medrano (25th) on Sunday called for City Council hearings on the hiring and promotion process for the Chicago Police and Fire departments.

“We have to look into just how objective the current procedures are,” said Medrano, whose ward includes the largely Hispanic Pilsen neighborhood.

“If necessary, we need to make changes. But this can’t go on. We’re tired of being on the sidelines.”

Medrano was the first Latino alderman to speak out after only two Latinos and three blacks were among the 114 police officers promoted to sergeant last week.

Joining the dispute over the promotions, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) called a press conference for this morning to announce that he was asking U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to investigate the results of the sergeant’s examination.

The promotions have renewed a long-standing feud between minority police organizations and the Fraternal Order of Police, which officially represents the officers.

Medrano joined the critics of the FOP on Sunday.

“Of course the (minority) organizations want to leave the FOP,” Medrano said. “The dues paid by minority officers are used by the leadership to file lawsuits that sustain the denial of equal opportunities for minority policemen. Give me a break.”

Bill Nolan, president of the FOP, rejected Medrano’s charges and blamed the controversy on the testing procedures.

“The city paid some consultants $5 million or $6 million to guarantee fairness, and they set up a test that included talking into a tape that was later evaluated. They claimed it would guarantee the fairest tests ever. This is what we get, so now they are trying to blame us,” Nolan said.

“We have nothing to do with it. We told them this would happen.”

Medrano rejected as “very weak and ridiculous” mayoral aide Cherryl Thomas’ statement suggesting that minorities needed to work harder to win promotions.

“Her comments were uncalled for. She knows that both the African-American Police League and the Latin American Police Association have developed programs to prepare their candidates,” Medrano said.

Thomas could not be reached for comment.