The Wichita Police Department (WPD) has sparked controversy after deciding to lower its hiring standards amid ongoing recruiting challenges.

The move to eliminate an aptitude test for new applicants raised concerns among officers and contradicted recommendations from a national police consultant firm’s report that found lowering hiring standards would not solve the department’s recruiting issue.

The department apparently implemented the change after consulting with the new human resources director, Jason Hood.

The aptitude test, previously used as an entry exam for police recruits, was removed without any formal announcement.

Lieutenant Aaron Moses initially denied the removal during a news conference but later clarified that a new test was being developed.

Hood confirmed that the test is not currently being used, while calling for better assessment tools to evaluate writing skills.

“The entry test has been eliminated,” Hood stated. “WPD consulted with HR and determined that the current aptitude test did not adequately assess writing skills. We are working to identify a better writing assessment tool and plan to work with Kansas Workforce Alliance in identifying a better way to evaluate the writing skills of our applicants.”

The decision to eliminate the competency test in writing and grammar was initially explained in a dashboard tracking the city’s progress on recommended changes by the national police consulting firm Jensen Hughes.

The explanation cited the need to consult labor counsel to prevent negative outcomes for minority candidates and highlighted changing communication styles influenced by texting and social media. However, the city later removed this explanation and replaced it with Hood’s statement.

The Jensen Hughes report, released in March, depicted a culture within the Wichita Police Department as “unhealthy, and at times, toxic.”

The report also highlighted officers’ discontent, referring to the department as “broken, dysfunctional and horrible.”

“Within WPD, some believe DEI efforts have been politically motivated and have resulted in underqualified individuals getting into the department or being put into positions they are not otherwise qualified for,” the Jensen Hughes report stated.

The report concluded that there was a lack of clear hiring standards and recommended minimum standards be established and published to ensure the capability of all personnel hired, assigned or promoted.

“This perception adds to the feeling of unfairness within the department. In addition to continuing to affirm and advance its DEI efforts, the WPD should clarify and publish minimum standards to ensure all persons hired, assigned or promoted are viewed as capable of performing their prescribed functions,” the report read.

Leaders of the Wichita Fraternal Order of Police also criticized the decision to eliminate the aptitude test, asserting that it does not address the department’s recruitment challenges.

With 93 open officer positions, including 77 patrol officers and a recruiting class of only 11 under the lowered standards, the department is struggling to attract qualified candidates. They argue that the test serves as an important screening mechanism to ensure candidates can effectively perform their duties.

“One of the sections, there was a narrative of an incident, a 9-1-1 call that you come out to, and it gives you the whole narrative of the events that happen and then there’s a police report and you’re supposed to just fill in the blanks,” FOP president and WPD Sergeant Dave Inkelaar said. “It’s just to make sure someone can actually do the work. It’s not that hard of a test,” he added.

In response to the change, police reform advocate Sheila Officer argued that lowering standards for law enforcement work is counterproductive, although she advocated for a “culturally-sensitive” assessment.

“When the prisons were short staffed, they lowered their standards. That wasn’t a good idea,” Officer said.

During a news conference, Wichita Police Lieutenant Aaron Moses, representing Chief Joe Sullivan, dismissed concerns about the temporary removal of the aptitude test, stating that the department is committed to hiring the most qualified candidates through a thorough process.

However, the absence of Chief Sullivan from the conference instilled further doubts.

“I’m not sure where the chief is, but frankly, as the chief of police, I assume he has other community commitments that he’s attending,” Mayor Brandon Whipple said after the conference.

According to the dashboard, which tracks the progress of the city’s progress in implementing the report’s recommendations, only 17 out of 54 recommendations were put in place, with 21 listed as “in progress.” The dashboard indicated that several recommendations were still under review.

Mayor Brandon Whipple, a proponent of the Jensen Hughes report, remained committed to improving the police force, and expressed hope that implementing the recommendations would improve officer retention and enhance the experiences of police officers serving the community.

“There is no such thing as done when it comes to improvement,” Whipple said. “We will always work to better ourselves and to serve the community to the best ability possible.”