A temporary allowance could become permanent for the Superior Police Department.  And that change could alleviate the officer shortage that the department has been battling for the last few years.

As it currently reads, the employment policy the city has in place cuts off the eligibility for new incoming offers at the age of 55.  Last week, during their meeting on June 16, the Superior Police and Fire Commission "approved an exception to the policy....to the certify the officer hire list [in front of them] with one candidate who has reached that age".  That exception to the policy allowed the police department to move forward with filling some of the vacancies it has.

But even with the new hires, the Superior Police Department is still short-staffed when it comes to law enforcement officers.

According to an article in the Superior Telegram [paywall], the "Superior Police Department has hired to fill two of the current three vacancies, but two additional vacancies within the ranks are anticipated".  That would leave the force back to where it was before the exception - at an officer deficit.

To help rectify the situation, the city is looking at making this one-time exception permanent.

As part of their proposal, the police department did some research on the age cap for new, incoming officers.  That research uncovered the fact that the age requirement isn't common among other law enforcement agencies.  Superior Human Resources Director Cammi Janigo offered that while the 55 age limit has been around "as long as I have been with the city", she's also "...not exactly sure where it originated from, but it is outside of what Wisconsin required for its law enforcement officers".

Eliminating the age limit wouldn't change any of their requirements that the department places on the hiring process for new police officers.  "New police officer candidates are subject to written, oral, and physical agility examinations, and ranked for possible hire based on their total score".

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