Commission Posts List in Police Test

A new eligible list for promotion to police sergeant, containing names of 3,282 patrolmen and detectives, was posted yesterday by the city civil service comission.

Police Supt. Orlando W. Wilson announced that he will promote 77 from the list to fill vacancies in the sergeant rank. The list, however, is subject to revision for military preference claims.

Highest Scorer

The highest grade, 86.10, was made by James M. O’Donnell, 34, of 6616 S. Campbell av., who admitted he did a lot of craming for the test given last Oct. 27. An army veteran, he has been a policeman since 1954. He expressed disbelief when first told he topped the list.

O’Donnell, married and the father of three children, is assigned to the area 4 auto theft unit with headquarters at the Maxwell street station. He is the son of the late policeman Michael O’Donnell, who also was assigned to auto thefts, and he wears his father’s star, number 1850. Two of his uncles also were policemen.

No. 2 with a grade of 85.80 is Detective Aurelio Garcia, 41, of 3517 W. 74th st., a policeman for 11 years and a war veteran, who said he has turned down jobs paying substantially more because “I love police work.”

Heads Police Group

Garcia said he will become Chicago’s first police sergeant of “full blooded Spanish origin.” A native American, he is president of the Latin American Police Association. Married and the father of two, he is a graduate of Tilden Technical High school. He works out of area 1 general assignments unit with headquarters in Washington Park.

The list replaces one canceled last Oct 17. The last promotions from the old list, posted Sept. 1 1960 were made Oct. 9

Some men ranking considerably lower than number 77 on the list could be moved up to win promotions because of their military service.

Depending on length of service, war veterans can gain up to 3.5 points. They can use this military credit on only one promotion, however.

Willis E. Cahill, comission president, denied there was unusual delay in posting the list. He said the comission had no request for additional sergeants, and “we had other examinations to get out of the way.”

Three policemen recently ousted by Mayor Daley from his corps of bodyguards, and given other assignments, were on the list, but not in line for immediate promotions. Daley replaced them after they left his car unattended last June 22.

The three are George A. Pouliet, number 135: Robert F. Miller, number 166: and David F. Hayes, number 324. Several of Daley’s present bodyguards ranked considerably higher.

Word that the list had been posted spread rapidly thru the department, and soon afterward several hundred patrolmen were in the comission offices waiting their turns to see how they ranked.