A. 
At the completion of the examination requirements set forth in Article V, the written examination, the oral examination, background examination and physical agility testing, the Commission shall rank all passing candidates on an eligibility list. The applicant having received the highest score shall be at the top of the list, with all other candidates being listed in descending order of their scores. Applicants who qualify for veterans' preference points shall have those points added to their passing score prior to being ranked on the eligibility list.
B. 
For promotional positions, fulfilling the performance requirements set forth in § 38-27 is also required. In the case of tied scores, the tie will be broken by giving preference to the applicant who submitted his/her completed application first. If both tied applicants submitted their completed applications on the same day, then the applicants shall be ranked in alphabetical order by surname.
C. 
The eligibility list will be valid for a period of one year from the date the Commission ranks all passing applicants, assigns veterans' preference points and formally adopts the eligibility list. The Commission may, at its sole discretion, void an eligibility list at any time for any reason. The Commission may, at its sole discretion, by vote of the majority of the Commission at a duly authorized Commission meeting, extend the list for one additional year.
A. 
The appointing authority of the Township of Patterson may fill any vacancy in an existing position in the Police Department for any of the following reasons: expansion of the Police Department, retirement, resignation, disability or death. The position(s) may be filled by reappointment or reinstatement of a former employee of the Police Department who had been furloughed. Except for physical and psychological examinations, no other testing shall be required for a furloughed, rehired or reappointed employee.
B. 
If there is not a furlough list or if positions remain to be filled after all of the officers on the furlough list were offered reemployment, every position, except that of Chief of Police, shall be filled only in the following manner:
(1) 
The appointing authority of the Township of Patterson shall notify the Commission of any vacancy which is to be filled and shall request certification of three names from the list of eligible.
(2) 
If three names are not available, then the Commission shall certify the name(s) remaining on the list.
(3) 
The Township of Patterson shall make an appointment from one of the three names certified with reference to the merits and fitness of the candidates. However, for the initial appointment to the position of police officer, when one of the three applicants on the certified list is a veteran, that applicant shall be selected. If two or more of the names on the certified list are veterans (for the initial appointment to the position of police officer), then the first veteran named on the certified list must be selected for appointment.
C. 
The Township of Patterson Commissioners may object to one or more of the persons certified for the reasons set forth in § 38-28 of these Rules and Regulations. If the candidate to whom the Township of Patterson Commissioners object fails to timely exercise the rights of appeal under § 38-30 or if the Commission declines to uphold the appeal, the Commission shall strike that name from the eligibility list and certify the next highest name for inclusion on the list of three candidates for each name stricken off.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chief of Police, the appointing authority has full discretion in selecting the individual to fill the position of Chief of Police. If the appointing authority requests the Commission to subject that person to a noncompetitive examination and if that person passes the examination, then the Commission shall notify the appointing authority of the results of the examination, and that person may then only be removed from the position of Chief of Police for reasons set forth in § 38-47 of these Rules and Regulations.
[Amended 10-14-2021 by Ord. No. 475]
A. 
After the appointing authority selects a candidate from the certified list of three for provisional appointment to the vacant position, that provisional appointee shall submit to a physical examination and to a psychological examination. If the candidate successfully passes the examinations, then that candidate shall be appointed to the vacant position in the police department for which the candidate had applied on a probationary term. The appointment shall be contingent upon successfully passing the physical examination and the psychological examination where required.
B. 
Selection of the physical and psychological examiners shall be at the discretion of the Commission. All fees for the services of these examiners shall be paid by the Township of Patterson.
C. 
If the opinion rendered from the physical or psychological examiner calls into question the conditional appointee's ability to perform all essential functions of a position, an individual designated by the Board of Commissioners shall meet with the conditional appointee for the purpose of having one or more interactive discussions on whether the conditional appointee can, with or without reasonable accommodation, perform all the essential functions of the position.
D. 
If, at the conclusion of the interactive discussion conducted under Subsection C, the Board of Commissioners determine that the conditional appointee is not qualified, the Board of Commissioners shall give written notice to the conditional appointee and the Commission. The Commission shall then certify another name to be included with the two previously certified names for consideration by the Board of Commissioners for appointment to the vacant position. If there are no other eligible candidates on the eligibility list to be certified to the Board of Commissioners, the Board may appoint from the remaining eligible candidates.
A. 
Every successful applicant for the position of police officer or to a promotional position, with the Police Department, including the selection of an individual from outside of the Department for the position of Chief of Police, shall serve a twelve-month probationary period. During this probationary period, a newly hired officer may only be dismissed for cause for the reasons set forth in § 38-28 and/or 38-47 of these Rules and Regulations. A promoted officer, during probation, may be returned to the rank from which he was promoted, only for cause for the reasons set forth in § 38-28 and/or 38-47 of these Rules and Regulations. An individual selected for the position of Chief of Police and hired from outside of the Department may also only be dismissed for cause for the reasons set forth in § 38-28 and/or 38-47 of these Rules and Regulations but will not be afforded the opportunity to be reduced in rank and retained by the Patterson Township Police Department.
B. 
A performance review of the Chief of Police and/or the Assistant Chief of Police will be conducted after 90 days and again after 180 days to be performed by the Police Commissioner and presented to the Patterson Township Board of Commissioners. Prior to the end of the twelve-month probationary period, if the conduct of the probationer has not been satisfactory to the Patterson Township Board of Commissioners, under Subsection A, the probationer shall be notified in writing by the Board of Commissioners that the appointment will not be permanent. Following receipt of this notification by the probationer, a newly hired officer's employment or that employment of a Chief of Police who had been hired from outside of the Patterson Township Police Department shall end. If a promoted officer is issued such a letter of notification, upon receipt of that letter, he shall be returned to the rank from which he was promoted. Any probationer who is notified in writing by the Board of Commissioners, prior to completion of the twelve-month probation period, that his appointment will not be made permanent has no rights of appeal under these Rules and Regulations.
C. 
At the end of the twelve-month probationary period, either a newly hired or a promoted employee shall receive permanent status within the Police Department.
[Amended 10-14-2021 by Ord. No. 475]
Whenever there are urgent reasons for the filling of a vacancy in any position in the Police Department and there are no names on the list of eligible candidates for such appointment, the Patterson Township Board of Commissioners may nominate a person to the Commission for a noncompetitive examination. Such nominee may be certified by the Commission after the nominee successfully passes such a noncompetitive examination. He may then be appointed provisionally to fill such vacancy. It shall thereupon become the duty of the Commission and the Board of Commissioners, within 90 days, to hold a competitive examination, certify an eligibility list, and make a regular appointment. If after all examinations there are fewer than three eligible applicants, the Commission shall present a certified list of all eligible candidates to the Board of Commissioners from which a regular appointment shall be made. Nothing in this section shall prevent the appointment, without examination, of persons temporarily assigned the full duties of a police officer for the Township in case of riots or other such emergencies.