Denver may be losing some of its top-qualified police and firefighter candidates due to problems within its own civil service hiring processes, according to a performance audit published by the city Thursday.

The Denver Civil Service Commission oversees the testing of entry-level police and fire applicants to identify the best-qualified candidates to hire.

Auditors analyzed more than 2,400 candidates from the police and fire departments who applied between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024, looking for areas in which the hiring process slowed.

Of the 1,102 police candidates, 11 were eligible for hiring, which took approximately 132 days, while of the 1,331 fire candidates, 42 were eligible for hiring, which took approximately 255 days.

“Both the police and fire departments continuously need more staff. Denver Police’s staffing issues are particularly problematic. Staffing gaps need to be filled with qualified candidates. If the hiring process isn’t working as it should, that’s a problem,” Denver Auditor Timothy O’Brien said in a statement.

Auditors found that the Civil Service Commission lacked reliable data and documented procedures to ensure candidates were processed consistently and without error.

Significant gaps in candidate data made it difficult for authors to identify which hiring stages were consuming the most time, resulting in applicants being disqualified or simply dropping out of the process.

Formalized policies and procedures outlining to whom communications are to be sent were insufficient and of concern to auditors.

“Our audit found some instances where communications with applicants were sent automatically through Workday, and some candidates did not receive clear information noting why they had been disqualified,” the report said.

Contracted psychologists hired to administer nonmedical assessments of police and fire candidates are an essential part of determining a candidate’s suitability for the job.

However, auditors found that the commission did not have a process to verify whether the psychologists met the required licensing and professional requirements outlined in the contracts.

Along with psychological evaluations, police and fire candidates also must undergo drug testing, fingerprinting and other personal background investigations to ensure they are able to carry out their duties responsibly.

Auditors found that seven of the Civil Service Commission’s 17 background investigators used personal devices, such as laptops or desktop computers, to conduct investigations with sensitive personal information. This information includes Social Security numbers, birth certificates, education history, work history, and military service records, auditors said.

According to the city’s acceptable use agreement, which all employees must follow, the use of personal devices is “expressly prohibited unless an authorized exemption is granted by the city’s Technology Services agency.”

“We found no exemptions for the seven investigators that were using personal devices for their work,” auditors said in the report.

“As of June 2, 2025, the Civil Service Commission employs 17 background investigators,16 have city-issued devices,” Civil Service Commission Executive Director Gracie Perez wrote in response to the auditors. “One (investigator) was recently discovered to use a personal device. The agency will develop a policy memo that provides clear expectations of the issuance and use of city-issued devices.”

By allowing this practice, O’Brien said, the commission cannot ensure that sensitive information is appropriately protected and stored.

“Candidates should feel confident that when they share personal information for a job application, only authorized staff will see it,” said O’Brien. “This practice needs to be addressed immediately.”

Civil Services Commission officials have agreed to implement all 14 of the city auditor’s recommendations.

In June 2023, auditors found the Denver Police Department lacked documentation and guidance on how to address low retention and improve recruitment, as well as formal processes to track and monitor officers’ time worked.

A follow-up audit in January of 2025 shows that of the 16 original recommendations made by auditors, DPD had fully implemented only five, partially implemented four others and it “has not taken steps to address the risks seven other recommendations had sought to resolve.”

The original audit said DPD had 1,364 active officers in 2022 — 7% short of its approved budget.

Despite paying some of the highest salaries for police officers in the country, metro Denver’s public safety agencies have seen a decline in applications, according to previous Denver Gazette reporting.

Because DPD hires through the city’s Civil Service Commission, the process can be lengthy, Sgt. Jay Casillas said in a statement to The Denver Gazette in January.

“However, we have been working closely with the Civil Service Commission to streamline and simplify processes to reduce the time from application to hiring,” he said.