The former chairman of a committee that approved questions for Colorado police certification tests has been selling a $75 study guide for those tests.
KMGH-TV Channel 7 reported that dozens of questions in the study guide also appeared on the test that’s overseen by the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board.
Former Commerce City Police chief Philip Baca,
who has been selling the guide, was on the P.O.S.T. curriculum committee, which oversees testing and education.
Karen Duffala, a former P.O.S.T. board deputy director, said the study has compromised the test and raises concerns about the qualifications of hundreds of officers certified with the test.
“Phil Baca as chairman of the committee had written questions incorporated into the exam for entry level officers and at the same time incorporated them into a book he was selling,” she said.
Baca, who left the P.O.S.T board committee in January, couldn’t be reached for comment.
He told KMGH that he never reviewed the P.O.S.T. database of test questions but did give the board many questions for that state test, questions he had created for his study guide.
“They use those questions because they had no other questions and when they ask for our questions I said, ‘OK,’ ” he told the station.
The test has been revamped and an outside company was hired to conduct the certification exam, Duffala said. As a result, she said, Baca’s study guide is “potentially” less valuable to those taking the test.
The Colorado Attorney General’s Office is aware of questions surrounding the test, spokesman Fred Yarger said.
“We have taken all appropriate actions at every step, including removing questions from the exam where necessary and hiring an outside agency to administer the test,” he said. “In light of pending criminal and personnel matters we cannot comment further.”
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
