Officer Skweres' Hiring Altered City Policy

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The City of Pittsburgh rejected police candidate Adam Skweres as "psychologically unsuitable."

Police Civilian Review Board Director Beth Pittinger says the matter should have ended there.

"That should have been it," she said. "He's not covered at that point by any bargaining unit agreement. He is an independent person seeking employment as a police officer, so that should have been the end of the deal."

But Skweres appealed, was given another psychological review and then become a police officer.

But that's not all. As a result of the case, the city changed its hiring policy, allowing candidates who failed a psychological review to get an opinion from a psychologist of their own choosing and then face a panel of three.

The new policy was approved by the Civil Service Commission and signed by then-Mayor Bob O'Connor.

But Pittinger believes it increases the possibility that psychologically unfit candidates eventually get hired.

"This is too serious of a job for there to be any question whatsoever," Pittinger said. "It's not something negotiable. You're fit for duty or you're not."

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