[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Washington 4-9-1975. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to the authority of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118
et seq., a Police Department is hereby established in the Township
of Washington, County of Warren and State of New Jersey, under the
name Washington Township Police Department.
[Amended 9-17-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07; 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-10; 7-19-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-14]
Said Police Department shall consist of a Chief of Police, not
more than one Captain, not more than two Lieutenants, not more than
six Sergeants, not more than four Corporals, not more than four Detectives
and such other regular full-time or part-time police officers as may
be appointed by the Washington Township Committee. All new hires shall
be for a one-year probationary period and may be dropped from the
rolls or discharged at any time during said probationary period. At
the termination of the one-year probationary period, all police officers
so appointed shall continue in their respective employment during
good behavior, efficiency and residence in the State of New Jersey.
Furthermore, the Washington Township Committee may appoint a Deputy
Chief of Police as a temporary position upon notification of a pending
retirement of the Chief of Police and upon successful completion of
the promotional process as stipulated in departmental policy (recommendation
of Chief of Police). The position of Deputy Chief of Police shall
be for transitional purposes only. Said position of Deputy Chief of
Police will not be considered a vacant position once the position
of Chief of Police is filled.
[Amended 9-17-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07; 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-10]
A.
The Township Committee may, by resolution, also appoint special police
officers for terms not exceeding one year each and may revoke such
appointments without cause or hearing. Said special police officers
shall exercise all powers of police officers while on duty. Their
powers, rights and duties shall immediately cease at the expiration
of the terms for which they were appointed or upon revocation of their
appointment.
[Amended 9-17-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07; 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-10]
A.
The Chief of Police shall be the chief executive of the Police Department,
and the Chief of Police and all members of said Department shall severally
perform the duties imposed upon them respectively by this chapter
and by such orders, rules and regulations as may from time to time
be adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Washington.
B.
Each full-time member of the Police Department shall devote their
primary time and attention to the services of the Department, with
certain hours being allocated for the performance of regular tours
of duty. Full-time officers are considered to be at all times available
for duty and must act promptly at any time that their services are
required, except when on authorized leave or in the event of disability.
C.
Each part-time member of the Police Department shall serve at such
hours and in such manner as directed by the Chief of Police or such
superior officer as may be designated by the Township Committee. Each
part-time member may be employed by persons or organizations other
than the Township of Washington and engage in outside employment,
provided that the nature of the employment is not inconsistent with
the position and dignity of a police officer.
[Amended 9-17-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07; 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-10]
The Township Committee shall fix by ordinance the compensation
to be paid to the Chief of Police, regular police officers, special
police officers and part-time police officers.[1] The Chief of Police shall cause to be kept a register
of the number of days and parts of days actually served on regular
duty of each regular, special and part-time police officers.
[Amended 9-17-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07; 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-10]
The members of the Police Department shall severally hold their
respective offices and continue in their respective employment during
good behavior, efficiency and residence in the State of New Jersey,
and no member shall be removed from office or employment in the Police
Department for political reasons or for any cause other than incapacity,
misconduct, nonresidence or disobedience of the rules and regulations
established for the government and discipline of the Police Department,
provided that any member of the Police Department who shall be absent
from duty without just cause for a term of five days continuously
and without leave of absence shall, at the expiration of such five
days, cease to be a member of the Police Department.
[Amended 9-17-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07; 5-17-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-09; 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-10]
No one shall be appointed as a newly hired officer of the Police
Department unless they meet the following requirements:
A.
Shall be a citizen of the United States between the ages of 21 and
35 inclusive and a resident of the State of New Jersey. The age requirement
herein set forth shall not, however, apply to those persons serving
as Washington Township Special Police Officers.
B.
Shall be of good reputation and sound moral character and shall not
have been convicted of any crime or offenses involving moral turpitude.
C.
Shall be sound in body and of good health sufficient to satisfy the
Board of Trustees of the police and firemen's retirement system
of New Jersey as to his/her eligibility for membership in the retirement
system.
D.
Shall be able to pass the standards set by the Physical Qualification
Test established in the Washington Township Police Department Policy
concerning the selection process for hiring new officers pursuant
to departmental policy.
E.
Shall have normal hearing in both ears and 20/20 vision corrected.
F.
Shall have the ability to distinguish colors.
G.
Must possess a valid New Jersey auto driver's license.
H.
Shall meet the educational requirements as set forth in departmental
policy.
[Added 9-17-2019 by Ord.
No. 2019-07]
Promotion denotes vertical movement in the organization hierarchy
from one rank classification to another, accompanied by increases
in salary. Validity of the promotional process can only be accomplished
through clear, concise procedures. A promotional process has been
developed to identify employees who possess the ability to assume
greater responsibilities combined with the necessary skills and knowledge
to perform competently at a higher organizational level. This policy
is established for the positions of Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant
and Deputy Chief.
[Added 9-17-2019 by Ord.
No. 2019-07]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any criminal or departmental charge, rule or regulation violation
resulting in a suspension or loss of days in lieu of a suspension.
A psychological examination conducted by the Institute of
Forensic Psychology or similar agency to confirm the candidate's ability
to mentally and emotionally handle a promotion to an administrator
level position (rank of Lieutenant or higher). Note: This examination
cannot be used to determine an individual's fitness for duty and will
only be used to either confirm or deny the candidate's mental and
emotional qualifications for promotion.
[Added 9-17-2019 by Ord.
No. 2019-07]
A.
Eligibility.
(1)
Desired assignment - Corporal or Detective.
(a)
Who is eligible - Patrol Officers who have completed at least
five years of service (including probation) with the Washington Township
Police Department. If no officers within the Department meet the qualifications,
the Township reserves the right to hire qualified individuals from
outside the Department.
[1]
Candidates must have at least two continuous years of service
immediately preceding the assignment with no formal disciplinary action
taken.
[2]
Candidates shall have demonstrated consistent performance at
or above the overall average of statistical data on all previous assignments.
[3]
There shall be no advanced educational requirement for an assignment
to Corporal or Detective. However, training related to criminal investigations
is preferred for candidates for assignment to Detective.
(2)
Desired rank - Sergeant.
(a)
Who is eligible - both Patrol Officers and Corporals who have
completed at least five years of service (including probation) with
the Washington Township Police Department.
[1]
Candidates must have at least two continuous years of service
immediately preceding the promotion with no formal disciplinary action
taken.
[2]
Candidates shall have demonstrated consistent performance at
or above the overall average of statistical data on all previous assignments.
[3]
There shall be no advanced educational requirement for a promotion
to Sergeant.
(3)
Desired rank - Lieutenant.
(a)
Who is eligible - both Corporals and Sergeants who have served
at least three years as a supervisor with the Washington Township
Police Department.
[1]
Candidates must have at least two continuous years of service
immediately preceding the promotion with no formal disciplinary action
taken.
[2]
Candidates shall have demonstrated consistent performance at
or above the overall average of statistical data on all previous assignments.
[3]
All candidates must have at least an associate degree or two
years of active duty military service or have attended some form of
advanced police executive training such as the FBI National Academy
or NJSACOP Command and Leadership Academy to be eligible for promotion
to Lieutenant.
(4)
Desired rank - Deputy Chief.
(a)
Who is eligible - both Sergeants and Lieutenants who have served
at least five years as a supervisor with the Washington Township Police
Department.
[1]
Candidates must have at least two continuous years of service
immediately preceding the promotion with no formal disciplinary action
taken.
[2]
Candidates shall have demonstrated consistent performance at
or above the overall average of statistical data on all previous assignments.
[3]
All candidates must have at least a bachelor's degree or four
years of active duty military service and have attended some form
of advanced police executive training such as the FBI National Academy
or NJSACOP Command and Leadership Academy to be eligible for promotion
to Deputy Chief.
[4]
All prerequisites for eligibility for promotions/assignments,
including educational degree/police executive training requirements,
years of service and/or years in present rank, must be met as of the
date the notice of a promotional examination is posted. There shall
be no exceptions to this requirement.
B.
Written examination.
(1)
All candidates for promotion/assignment to the assignment/rank of
Corporal, Sergeant or Lieutenant shall submit to a departmental written
examination.
(2)
All candidates for promotion to the rank of Deputy Chief shall submit
to a NJSACOP Chief Promotional Written Examination.
(3)
The written examination shall be pass/fail. The purpose of the written
examination is to assess the candidate's basic police knowledge and
must be passed in order to move on to the second phase in the testing
process. A score of 80% or greater shall be considered a passing score.
(4)
At least 60 days prior to the date a written examination is scheduled,
a notice shall be posted at the Police Department that will set forth
the following:
C.
Oral question-and-answer examination/personal interview.
(1)
A Police Promotional/Assignment Committee, consisting of the Chief
of Police and Lieutenant(s), shall conduct an oral question-and-answer
examination and shall interview candidates for promotion/assignment
to the ranks of Corporal, Sergeant and Lieutenant. At the Chief of
Police's discretion, the Township Administrator or other area Police
Chiefs may sit on the Promotional Committee for a Lieutenant promotion.
(2)
For Deputy Chief promotional testing, the outgoing Chief of Police,
at least two Police Chiefs from nearby communities, and the Township
Administrator shall make up the Promotional Committee. During times
when the outgoing Chief of Police is not available, the Township Committee
may choose to request that the NJSACOP conduct the interview process.
(3)
Those candidates for promotion/assignment to the ranks of Corporal,
Sergeant, Lieutenant, or Deputy Chief who have received passing scores
on the departmental written examination shall be eligible to participate
in the oral question-and-answer examination/personal interview and
shall be notified of their scheduled examination and interview date
at least 10 days prior to that date. Officers with a passing written
examination score shall be ranked from highest to lowest score. The
highest passing score shall be worth the max 20 points, the second
highest score shall be worth 19 points and so on subtracting down
by one point to the lowest passing score.
(4)
The question-and-answer examination shall consist of four questions
(rank/assignment specific) posed to the candidates to which the candidates
must provide oral answers. The questions shall be based on hypothetical
situations, and the same questions shall be given to each of the candidates.
The candidate's oral answers to the questions posed shall be evaluated
by the Committee with regard to the candidate's practical application
of acceptable police operating procedures applicable to the situations
presented. Each Committee member shall score each oral answer, with
32 points being the maximum attainable score. The candidate's overall
score for each answer shall be the average of the combined scores
of each Committee member. Each answer shall be worth eight points
(for a total of 32 points for the four questions) of a candidate's
overall score for the oral question-and-answer examination portion.
(5)
The interview portion will be based mainly on a candidate's past
performance and evaluations and shall represent 18 points of a candidate's
overall score for the oral question-and-answer examination/personal
interview. The main supporting information to be viewed during the
interview will come from each candidate's personnel file. Each candidate
shall be given the opportunity to make a personal statement if he/she
chooses to do so. Each Committee member shall grade each candidate
based on the interview. The maximum attainable score for the interview
shall be 18 points. The candidate's overall score for the interview
shall be the average of the combined scores of each Committee member.
Factors to be considered by the Committee in scoring the interview
shall be:
(a)
The candidate's performance/leadership skill.
(b)
The candidate's initiative.
(c)
The candidate's breadth of knowledge.
(d)
The candidate's educational background.
(e)
The candidate's training.
(f)
The candidate's career development.
(g)
The candidate's supervisory knowledge.
(h)
The candidate's supervisory experience.
(j)
Discipline.
(k)
Commendation.
(l)
Appearance and demeanor.
(m)
Special assignments.
(n)
Job/assignment specific training or knowledge.
(o)
Letters of approbation from outside the Department concerning
a potential candidate received between the date that notice of a promotional/assignment
examination is posted and the conclusion of the promotional/assignment
examination shall not be considered for the posted examination.
(6)
The oral question-and-answer examination and personal interview shall
have a combined maximum score of 50 points.
D.
Seniority.
(1)
Seniority will be assessed at the final stage of the promotional/assignment
process for all candidates for all ranks.
(2)
Seniority shall be worth 1/2 of a point for every year of service
with the Washington Township Police Department up to a maximum of
10 points.
(3)
Seniority shall be determined by the number of years of service completed
as of the date that the notice of promotional/assignment examination
was posted.
|
Seniority = 10
|
E.
Chief's/Administrator's assessment. The Chief of Police or, in his
absence, the Township Administrator (for Deputy Chief promotion only)
shall personally rate each candidate for assignment/promotion on a
scale of one being the lowest to 20 being the highest based on the
Chief's personal opinion about the candidate's level of agency commitment
and Esprit De Corps.
|
Chief's/Administrator's Assessment = 20
|
F.
Examination final overall score.
(1)
The written examination is worth a maximum of 20 points.
(2)
The four oral question-and-answer questions are worth a maximum of
32 points.
(3)
The interview assessment is worth a maximum of 18 points.
(4)
Seniority is worth 1/2 of a point for every year of service completed
with the Washington Township Police Department up to a maximum seniority
bonus of 10 points.
(5)
The Chief's/Administrator's assessment is worth up to a maximum of
20 points.
(6)
In order to determine the overall final score for promotion/assignment,
add the written exam rank/score, the oral question-and-answer examination/personal
interview, plus seniority plus the Chief's assessment.
|
Written Exam =
|
20
|
|
Question 1 =
|
8
|
|
Question 2 =
|
8
|
|
Question 3 =
|
8
|
|
Question 4 =
|
8
|
|
Interview =
|
18
|
|
Seniority =
|
10
|
|
Chief's Assessment =
|
20
|
|
Total
|
100
|
G.
Summary.
(1)
If applicable, a candidate may view his/her written test and compare
the answers with the answers from the answer key. Each candidate wishing
to do so shall have 10 days from the date of the test to request this
review; after 10 days, he/she will not be allowed to view the written
examination and/or answer key.
(2)
Upon completion of the examination process, each candidate will be
provided with testing results in a written review form which includes
his/her:
(3)
Chief of Police/Police Promotional Committee.
(a)
The Chief of Police or the Police Promotional Committee, as
may be applicable to the promotion being considered, shall submit
the final examination results to the Mayor and Township Committee,
along with a recommendation for their review and action.
(b)
The Chief of Police or his/her designee shall be responsible
for all examination phases of the promotional process.
(c)
No member of the Police Department shall be promoted unless
and until the Township Committee adopts a resolution approving the
recommendation of the Chief of Police, or the Police Promotional Committee,
as may be applicable to the promotion being considered.
H.
Physical and psychological examinations.
(1)
Lieutenant and Deputy Chief candidates with the highest test scores
must first pass a physical and promotional psychological examination
prior to being officially promoted. Note: A passing departmental physical
conducted within one year or less of a promotion shall count.
(2)
The candidate receiving the highest overall final score for the assignment
of Corporal shall be assigned to that position. The candidate receiving
the highest overall final score for the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant
or Deputy Chief shall be recommended by the Chief of Police/Township
Administrator to the Mayor and Township Committee for promotion. In
the event that the Chief of Police deems the individual with the highest
score not to be eligible/qualified because of the results received
from the individual's promotional psychological and/or physical examinations,
he will inform the candidate of said results and then present the
next highest scoring eligible candidate for promotion.
I.
Examination eligibility list. Candidates who successfully complete
the promotional/assignment examination process but do not receive
a promotion/assignment at the conclusion of the process may be placed
on a promotional/assignment list for the same rank for which the candidates
were examined.
(1)
The list will be active for one year from date of final results being published. A candidate on the list may be recommended for promotion/assignment to the appropriate rank without further examination (except Subsection H, if applicable) within the one-year time period.
(2)
The establishment of a list will be made upon recommendation of the
Police Promotional Committee to the Mayor and Township Committee and
the adoption of a resolution establishing the list by the Township
Committee.
