Under a provisional hiring process, the city sometime this month will hire a handful of new officers, who will train on-the-job for six months. At the same time, the department is expected to lose two more officers, leaving the force down 10 cops.

For roughly a year, officers have been gradually leaving the department voluntarily. The increase in departures started after Police Chief William Matthews was hired in

April and the administration considered laying off several officers to save money.

The layoff plan was abandoned after local, county and state law enforcement officials said the cuts would jeopardize the safety of officers and residents. Coincidentally, the department is at a lower staffing level than it would have been under the layoff plan, which proposed cutting roughly seven officers.

Meanwhile, gun violence continues in the city. Four people were shot in January, and no one has been arrested in the three separate shooting incidents. Also, police routinely receive reports of shots fired throughout the city.

And as the violence persists, city cops continue to take the nearest exit out of the city.

Last week, two city officers received conditional job offers from the Caln Township Police Department. After they leave Coatesville this month, 24 officers will remain, including the police chief. (See related story.)

To address Coatesville’s staffing gap, officials recently interviewed 10 candidates on the city’s existing eligibility list, which had 33 names, and recruited 12 other candidates through a separate process, administrators said.

The 22 candidates competed for six to seven on-the-job training spots. After the six-month evaluation period, the department will decide whether to keep the officers on board permanently.

Citing city and state civil service rules, city officials are hiring the police through a provisionary process.

“The processes we have initiated to bring in officers … will in fact address these issues. My interest is not to get caught short like this again,” Matthews said.

In the meantime, shifts are being covered through overtime hours, he said.

“We are making sure, to the extent possible, that we have enough people on the street to cover safety issues,” Matthews said.

Chester County District Attorney Joseph Carroll said he has been waiting for more than two months for Coatesville to fulfill a promise to hire seven officers that was made at a November City Council meeting.

“The sooner the better, because that city needs the complete protection it deserves,” Carroll said. “Vacancies leave police officers and the public at risk.”

Even while administrators have been working to bring in new officers, more officers continue to leave, widening the gap.

In January, Alan Bernard, acting lieutenant and detective, retired after 26 years with the department. Bernard is working as a city consultant to perform background checks on the officer candidates, Matthews said.

Before Bernard, seven officers left for other jobs. And Lt. Julius Canale may be retiring this summer after serving for 20 years — if a promotion to chief is not in sight.

“It’s been my goal here to rise to the top of the police department and continue to serve the citizens of Coatesville. But if that’s not in the cards in the future, then I will have to look at my options outside the Coatesville Police Department,” Canale said earlier this month.

Canale’s 20th anniversary will be June 1.

The department is also short a supervisory officer. In October, Matthews ordered Lt. Matthew Gordon not to return to work indefinitely. The administrative leave, which is paid, is currently in litigation.

Joseph P. DiGiorgio, a Fraternal Order of Police attorney, said he does not know why the city has suspended Gordon or why he has not been asked to return to work.

“I think they just want to change the department,” DiGiorgio said Thursday.

DiGiorgio argues that Gordon was suspended and under the third-class city code he should have a hearing before City Council over the discipline. DiGiorgio said the city is required to explain the charges against Gordon before council, and Gordon should be able to respond to the charges.

DiGiorgio wants a Common Pleas Court judge to order a hearing before council. Later this month, DiGiorgio will try to convince county Judge Howard F. Riley Jr. that Gordon has been suspended and therefore the hearing process must happen.

The city maintains Gordon is on administrative leave and has not been suspended. Matthews explained that a suspension is a disciplinary action but administrative leave with pay is not. He referred further questions to city Solicitor Andrew Lehr.

Lehr agreed that Gordon is on administrative leave and not suspended. He said the city is going through a process to determine what will happen next with Gordon.

“There is open, amicable discussion going on between both parties,” Lehr said, but he declined to comment further about the personnel and legal matter.

DiGiorgio said he expects he and the city’s attorney will meet with Riley this month to determine the appropriate course of action.

In an Oct. 3, 2007, letter, Matthews told Gordon he had been placed on indefinite administrative leave, demoted to sergeant and “charged” with conduct unbecoming an officer, insubordination and neglect of duty.

“As a result of your intemperance and behavior in my office conference room on the morning of Oct. 2, 2007, and your failure to assume the full responsibilities of command, you are hereby relieved of your current responsibilities as a lieutenant …,” Matthews wrote.

He continued, “Your past performance/judgment has demonstrated an inability or willingness to assume the responsibilities of your rank in a consistent and appropriate manner.”

To contact staff writer Jennifer Miller, send an e-mail to jmiller@dailylocal.com.