[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.
The Board of Police Commissioners may, subject to the provisions of law, and subject to the provisions of § 73-12, appoint such employees as it may deem necessary, and such employees shall be subject to the provisions of §§ 27-23 through 27-26 and § 27-30.
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.
Nothing contained in Chapter 67, Officers and Employees, Article XIII, Police Commissioner, and §§ 27-22 through 27-36 shall in any manner affect § 27-37.
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.
D. 
Notice when Chief incapacitated. In case of the injury, illness or disability of the Chief, the notice of such injury, illness or disability required by Subsections A and B of this section shall be given by the Chief to the Chairman of the Board of Police Commissioners.