[Adopted as Title 2, Ch. 2.60, of the 1986 Code]
The Police Department shall consist of the Board of Police Commissioners,
one Chief of Police, two Deputy Chiefs of Police, and as many policemen
as the City Council may authorize from time to time, and four policewomen
(all of whom shall be also police officers), and as many special police
officers as in the opinion of the Board of Police Commissioners shall
be necessary.
The rank and grade of members of the Police Department below
the Board of Police Commissioners shall be as follows: Chief; Deputy
Chief; Captain; Lieutenant; Radio Engineer with a rank not higher
than a Lieutenant, such rank to be determined by the Board of Police
Commissioners; Sergeant; patrolman, Grade A; patrolman, Grade B; patrolman,
Grade C; policewoman; and special police officer.
The Board of Police Commissioners shall have authority to increase
the number of Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants and policewomen whenever,
in its judgment, the services may require it; provided that the total
number of policemen shall not be increased, and provided, further,
that the Board is first authorized to do so by the annual budget,
a supplementary budget or other appropriation order passed by the
City Council and approved by the Mayor.
A.
The provisions of MGL c. 147, § 16C, are accepted
and the services of all policemen shall be restricted to five days
in any one week; provided that when the Chief of Police or other officer
designated by him determines that public necessity so requires, services
in excess of the days mentioned in this section may be authorized.
B.
The compensation of any policeman shall not be reduced by reason
of this section.
[Amended 2-26-2024]
A.
There shall be a position of Police Superintendent which is appointed
by the Mayor. All references in the City Code of the City of Springfield
which reference a Police Chief or Police Commissioner shall be deemed
to mean Police Superintendent.
B.
The Superintendent shall have precedence over all members and employees
of the Police Department below the grade of Superintendent, and such
members and employees shall at all times be subject to his or her
command and control.
C.
The Superintendent shall, from time to time, issue orders consistent
with all applicable City ordinances, laws, regulations, legal requirements,
policies of the Springfield Police Department, and disciplinary decisions
of the Board of Police Commissioners, as may be necessary for the
daily managerial oversight of the Police Department, including command
and control of all Department members, professional standards, hiring,
promotion, and assignments, and all budgetary and managerial functions
of the Department, the use and disposition of its equipment, and the
authority to suspend a tenured civil service employee for just cause
for a period of five days or less without a hearing prior to such
suspension.
D.
Except with respect to Subsection E below, upon the conclusion of Mr. Lawrence E. Akers' service to the City of Springfield as the Police Superintendent, the provision shall revert to the provision in effect immediately prior to this amendment.
E.
The Board of Police Commissioners shall not forfeit their authority to hire, promote or discipline under the City Code to the Police Superintendent, Police Chief, or any other individual, whether by memorandum of understanding, or any other means, unless such forfeiture of authority is approved by majority vote of the City Council. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this section shall be construed to impair or restrict the provisions of Article IV, Chapter 27, § 27-26, and Article XIX, Chapter 16, § 16-66.
A.
Except as otherwise provided by law, the Chief of Police may prefer
charges against any member or employee of the Department.
B.
Such charges shall be specific and in writing and may contain a recommendation
for immediate suspension pending investigation.
C.
The Board of Police Commissioners shall forthwith proceed to investigate
such charges and recommendation and shall with reasonable dispatch
render its decision and take suitable action thereon.
The Board of Police Commissioners may penalize any member or
employee of the Department by reprimand, the performance of extra
or regular duty without pay, suspension with loss of pay, reduction
in rank or grade, or dismissal; provided, however, that the procedure
established by MGL c. 31 is followed.
A.
The Chief of Police, or the Deputy Chief of Police in the absence
of the Chief, may approve payrolls and certify them to the City Auditor.
B.
The Chief of Police, and the Deputy Chief of Police in the absence of the Chief, is to be considered as the head of the Department for the purpose of swearing to every payroll, bill or account for salary or compensation to any person in the service of the Police Department within the provisions of § 42-3.
The order of precedence among members of the Police Department
below the grade of Chief shall be Deputy Chief, Captain, lieutenant
and Sergeant, and among the members of the same rank. All members
and employees of the Department shall at all times be subject to the
command of the ranking officer present.
The Chief and Deputy Chiefs, before entering upon the duties
of their respective offices, shall give a bond for the faithful performance
thereof, the Chief in the sum of $2,000 and each Deputy Chief in the
sum of $1,500, with sufficient sureties to be approved by the Board
of Police Commissioners.
A police officer shall, subject to the provisions of law, be
indemnified in such amount as may be recommended by the indemnification
board as provided by MGL c. 41, § 100, for expenses
or damages to persons or personal property sustained by him while
legally acting as police officer, in such sum as may be recommended
by the indemnification board as provided by MGL c. 41, § 100.
A.
The Superintendent of the Police Signal System shall have supervision
and general charge and care of the apparatus, machinery and fixtures
of the police signal telegraph system and shall see that they are
kept in good working order, for which he shall be responsible to the
Chief of Police.
B.
He shall keep an accurate account of all extra labor and material
needed for the proper maintenance of such system, and all the expense
of such maintenance shall be charged to the account of the Police
Department.
C.
He shall annually, in the month of January, prepare and submit to
the Board of Police Commissioners an estimate of the amount of money
necessary for the proper care, maintenance and extension of the police
signal system for the then-current fiscal year.
The Chief of Police, Deputy Chief of Police and all police officers
are especially charged to see that the provisions of all ordinances
are enforced.
A.
Establishment. A police training school is created and established
for the training and instruction of all reserve police officers and
of any regular police officers who may be found to require it.
B.
Course of training. The police training school shall provide a thorough
course of training and instruction in the laws and the manner of their
enforcement, the powers and duties of a police officer, personal hygiene
and physical development, the art of self-defense, the art of handling
resisting prisoners with the least necessary application of force
and the least possible injury to the prisoner, the art of accurate
snap shooting with the revolver, pistol and riot gun, and the proper
deportment and conduct of a police officer.
C.
Authority to require regular police to take course. Every regular
police officer shall take a course in the police training school,
or any part or parts thereof, or the equivalent thereof of such course,
whenever the Board of Police Commissioners or other authority in control
of the Police Department shall deem it desirable.
D.
Institution and maintenance of school. The training school shall
be instituted and maintained by the Board of Police Commissioners
or by such other body or officers as may hereafter be invested with
the supervision and control of the Police Department.
A.
Temporary injury, illness or disability in performance of duty.
(1)
Full
pay for 12 weeks. Any member of the Police Department in active service
who is injured, becomes ill, or is disabled while in the performance
of his duties as a member of such Department shall receive his full
pay from the City during his temporary injury, illness or disability,
if the injury, illness or disability renders him temporarily unable
to attend to his regular duties, not to exceed 12 weeks in all for
each such injury, illness or disability.
(2)
Extension
of time of payment. The time for receiving full pay during a temporary
injury, illness or disability may be extended beyond such twelve-week
period for each injury, illness or disability at the discretion of
the Board of Police Commissioners.
(3)
Notice
of injury. Members of the Police Department shall give notice in writing,
or cause notice to be given to the Chief, in all cases of injury,
illness or disability within three days of the date of the occurrence
claimed to be the cause of the injury, illness or disability, and
all such claims shall be submitted to the Commissioners and the Chief
for their approval.
(4)
Evidence
of injury. The Commissioners and the Chief are empowered to take such
steps and require such evidence as they deem necessary to be satisfied
of the validity of the claim for injury, illness or disability.
B.
Temporary injury, illness or disability not connected with duties.
(1)
Full
pay for 12 weeks. Any member of the Police Department in active service
who suffers an injury, illness or disability not connected with the
performance of his duties as a member of such Department shall receive
his full pay from the City during his temporary injury, illness or
disability, if the injury, illness or disability renders him temporarily
unable to attend to his regular duties, not to exceed a total of 12
weeks in any twelve-month period.
(2)
Self-inflicted or similarly caused injuries. The Board of Police Commissioners is directed and empowered, if the injury, illness or disability is self-inflicted or self-imposed, or if there is any other good cause, to deny a member of the Department sick relief under Subsection B(1).
(3)
Extension
of time of payment. The time for receiving full pay during any temporary
injury, illness or disability may be extended beyond such total twelve-week
period at the discretion of the Board of Police Commissioners.
(4)
Notice
of injury. Members of the Police Department shall give notice in writing,
or cause notice to be given to the Chief, in all cases of injury,
illness or disability within three days of the date of the commencement
of such injury, illness or disability, and all such claims shall be
submitted to the Commissioners and the Chief for their approval.
(5)
Requiring
evidence of validity of claim. The Commissioners and the Chief are
empowered to take such steps and require such evidence as they deem
necessary to be satisfied of the validity of the claim for injury,
illness or disability.
C.
Commissioners may disregard failure to give notice. In case any member who is injured, ill or disabled fails to give notice in writing or cause notice to be given to the Chief as required by Subsections A(3) or B(4) within the required three days, such failure may be disregarded by the Commissioners in awarding payments during injury, illness or disability if, in the discretion of the Commissioners, they are of the opinion that equity and fairness require it.
