At the completion of the examination requirements set forth in Article IV, written examination, oral examination, background investigation, physical agility test and polygraph examination, the Commission shall rank all passing applicants on a list with the applicant receiving the highest score at the top of the list and the applicant receiving the lowest passing score at the bottom of the list.
Applicants for patrol officer who qualify for veterans' preference
points shall have those points added to their passing score prior
to being ranked on the eligibility list.
For promotional positions, fulfilling the performance requirement set forth in § 32-24 is also required before an applicant is placed on the preliminary list. Applicants for promotion shall not have any veterans' preference points added to their scores.
In the case of tied scores, the tie will be broken by giving preference
to the applicant who submitted a final completed application first.
If both tied applicants submitted their complete applications on the
same day, then the applicants shall be ranked in alphabetical order
by surname.
Based on the specific needs of the Police Department, a physical
agility examination and a background investigation will be conducted
based upon an applicant's position on the preliminary list. When an
applicant has successfully completed all phases of the examination
requirements, his name may be placed upon the eligibility list.
The Commission may, at its sole discretion, before the original expiration
date, by a vote of the majority of the Commission at a duly authorized
Commission meeting, extend the list for up to an additional 12 months.
The Commission may, at its sole discretion, void an eligibility list
at any time, for any reason.
The appointing authority of the Township may fill any vacancy in
an existing position in the Police Department that occurs as a result
of expansion of the police force, retirement, resignation, disability
or death by the reappointment or reinstatement of a former employee
of the Police Department who had been furloughed. Except for medical
and psychological examinations, no other testing shall be required
for a furloughed employee.
If no furlough list exists 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:
The appointing authority of the Township shall notify the Commission
of any vacancy which is to be filled and shall request the certification
of three names from the list of eligible;
The appointing authority may make an appointment only from one of
the three names certified with reference to the merits and fitness
of the candidates.
For entry level appointment to the position of patrol officer, any
veteran whose name appears as certified shall be given preference
over any nonveteran.
The appointing authority may object to one or more of the persons certified for the reasons set forth in § 32-25 of this chapter and shall timely notify such person or persons of its objections in writing. If the candidate to whom the appointing authority objects fails to timely exercise the rights of appeal under § 32-27, or if the Commission declines to uphold the appeal, the Commission shall strike the name of that candidate from the eligibility list and certify the next highest name for inclusion on the list of certified candidates.
In the case 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. The Commission shall assist
the appointing authority as requested.
After the appointing authority selects a candidate from the certified
list for appointment to the vacant position, that candidate shall
submit to a medical examination and a psychological examination, on
a pass/fail basis, by appropriate experts. This conditional offer
of employment shall be revoked in the event the applicant refuses
to take, or fails, the examinations.
If, and only if, the candidate successfully passes the medical and
psychological examinations and is certified as fit for duty, then
that individual shall be appointed to the vacant position in the Police
Department for which the application was submitted. The appointment
shall be contingent upon successfully passing both the medical and
psychological examinations.
The failure to pass either examination shall result in the candidate being rejected from consideration. The rejected candidate may appeal this decision under § 32-27.
In the event any name is stricken under this section, the Commission shall then certify another name to be included with the two previously certified names for consideration by the appointing authority pursuant to § 32-41.
Every successful applicant to the position of patrol officer or to
a promotional position with the Police Department shall serve a one-year
probationary period.
For newly hired patrol officers, the one-year probationary period shall not commence until after the officer has completed training required by statute and receives a certification number. During the probationary period, a newly hired officer may only be dismissed for the reasons set forth in § 32-25.
Within 30 days prior to the end of the probationary period, if the
conduct of the probationer, as reported by the Chief of Police, has
not been satisfactory, the probationer shall be notified in writing
that the appointment will not be permanent. At that time, a newly
hired officer's employment shall end, or a promoted officer shall
return to his previous rank.
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
eligibility list for such appointment, the appointing authority may
nominate a person to the Commission for noncompetitive examination.
Such nominee may be certified by the Commission as qualified after
such noncompetitive examination and may be appointed, provisionally,
to fill such vacancy.
It shall thereupon become the duty of the Commission within 10 weeks
to hold a competitive examination and certify a list of eligible,
and a regular appointment shall then be made from the name or names
submitted by the Commission.
A provisional appointment under this section shall be temporary in
nature and shall expire upon the regular appointment of an applicant
under this chapter.
Nothing within this section shall prevent the appointment, without
examination, of persons, temporarily, as patrol officers in cases
of riot or other emergency.