A.
Rules and regulations.
(1)
The Commission shall make rules and regulations, to be approved as provided in § 16-10, providing for the examination of applicants for positions in the police force and for promotions, which rules and regulations shall prescribe the minimum qualifications of all applicants to be examined and the passing grades. All examinations for positions or promotions shall be practical in character and shall relate to matters and include inquiries as will fairly test the merit and fitness of the persons examined to discharge the duties of the employment sought by them. All examinations shall be open to all applicants who have the minimum qualifications required by the rules and regulations. Each applicant for an original position shall:
(a)
Be subject to the regulations adopted by the Commission;
(b)
Either before or after the written examination, be required
to submit to a physical fitness or agility examination that is job-related
and consistent with business necessity;
(2)
Each applicant for promotion shall be subject to the regulations adopted by the Commission and to examination and selection in accordance with § 16-42. Physical fitness or agility examinations that are job-related and consistent with business necessity and physical and psychological medical examinations may, but need not, be required for promotions.
B.
Public notice of the time and place of every examination, together
with the information as to the kind of position or place to be filled,
shall be given by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation,
at least two weeks prior to each examination, and a copy of the notice
shall be prominently posted in the office of the Commission or other
public place.
C.
The Commission shall post in its office the eligibility list, containing
the names and grades of those who have passed the examination.
The examination for patrol officer will consist of a written
and an oral examination which will be graded on a 100-point scale
with the written examination representing 70% of the final score and
the oral examination representing 30% of the final score. In addition,
each applicant will undergo a physical agility test, a polygraph test
and a background investigation. These tests and investigation will
be graded on a pass/fail basis for every applicant. After an applicant
has been extended a conditional offer of employment, final appointment
shall be contingent upon the applicant passing a medical and psychological
examination.
The examination for the positions of Corporal and Sergeant shall
include a written and an oral examination which will be graded on
a 100-point scale with the written examination representing 70% of
the final score and the oral examination representing 30% of the final
score.
The Commission shall appoint, as needed, a written examination
administrator, an oral examination administrator, a polygraph examiner,
a physical agility examiner, a medical examiner and a psychological
examiner to conduct the appropriate examination required by these
rules.
The written examination shall be graded on a 100-point scale,
and an applicant must score 75% or higher and receive one of the top
10 highest scores, including ties, in order to continue in the application
process. Applicants scoring less than 75% shall be rejected. Within
30 days after the administration of the written examination, all applicants
shall be given written notice of their test results only, and with
the highest 10 scorers scheduled for one or more oral examination
appointments. The letters to the passing applicants who scored in
the top 10 shall be sent by certified mail to the address provided
by the applicant on the application. The letters to the remaining
applicants who did not score in the top 10 and the failing applicants
shall be sent by regular mail to the addresses provided on the application.
An applicant shall have no right to receive a copy of the graded written
test and shall not discuss or attempt to discuss the administration
or results of the written test with the administrator, and doing so
shall result in the automatic disqualification of the applicant.
A.
The highest 10 scorers who have passed the written examination shall
be given an oral examination which will be graded on a 100% scale
consisting of five questions with each question being worth 20 points.
An applicant must score 70% or higher in order to continue in the
application process. Applicants scoring less than 70% shall be rejected.
The oral examination shall involve questioning by three oral administrators
asking the applicant how he would handle situations relevant to police
work. The scores of the three oral examination administrators for
each question should be averaged to arrive at the applicant's
score for each question. The score of each question should be added
together to arrive at the applicant's oral examination score.
B.
The written examination shall represent 70% of the applicant's
total score and the oral examination shall represent 30% of the total
score. The calculations for the combined total of the written examination
and the oral examination shall be made by multiplying the written
examination score by 70% and by multiplying the oral examination score
by 30% and then adding the two scores together.
C.
An applicant shall have no right to receive a copy of the graded
written test and shall not discuss or attempt to discuss the administration
or results of the written test with the administrator, and doing so
shall result in the automatic disqualification of the applicant.
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EXAMPLE:
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Weighted factors: 70% - Written Examination 30% - Oral Examination
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Candidate A - (Veteran)
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Written Examination Score - 80% (80% x 70%) = 56%
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1.
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56%
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Oral Examination - 80% (80% x 30%) = 24%
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2.
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24%
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Total Score
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80%
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Add Veteran Preference - (Borough and First Class Township)
- 10 points
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Final Score
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90%
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D.
Within 30 days after the applicants' oral examination, they
shall be informed of their oral examination and total overall scores,
and each passing applicant shall be informed of the next step in the
examination process.
Pursuant to the Veterans' Preference Act,[1] any applicant for the position of patrol officer who qualifies as a soldier under this Act shall receive an additional 10 points on top of their total score if that applicant had received passing scores under §§ 16-26, 16-29 and 16-30. Any applicant claiming veterans' preference is responsible for providing any and all relevant documents to the Commission.
[1]
Editor’s Note: See 51 Pa.C.S.A. § 7101 et seq.
A.
Every applicant for the position of patrol officer shall fill out
a personal data questionnaire and undergo a polygraph examination.
The Commission shall furnish each polygraph examiner with forms upon
which the examiner shall state whether any of the applicant's
responses to questions from the applicant's personal data questionnaire
are deceptive. The report on each examination shall be submitted to
the Commission within five days after the date of the examination.
B.
The examiner shall ask questions based on the information contained
in the personal data questionnaire. Before administering the test,
the examiner shall ask each applicant whether there is any more information
related to the personal data questionnaire which the applicant would
like to provide. There shall also be a post-test review, during which
the examiner shall again ask the participant, if deception is indicated,
whether there is any information which the applicant is withholding.
C.
If the examiner shall deem any of the applicant's responses
to be deceptive, the examiner must tell the applicant immediately
and give the applicant an opportunity to explain, deny or admit the
deception. If the applicant denies being deceptive or if the explanation
is found unsatisfactory by the examiner, the applicant will be given
the opportunity to retake the test with a second examiner. Notice
of the opportunity to retest shall be given in writing to the applicant.
The second examiner will not have access to the results of the first
test prior to readministering the polygraph. If the second examiner
finds no deception, the applicant will be considered as having passed
the polygraph. If the second examiner also finds the applicant deceptive,
the applicant will be considered as having failed the examination.
D.
An applicant who has failed both tests may appeal to the Civil Service
Commission for a third examination, and the decision to give the applicant
an opportunity to take a third test resides solely within the discretion
of the Commission. If the applicant is awarded an opportunity to take
a third test and passes, then the applicant will be considered as
having passed the polygraph test. If the applicant is found deceptive
on a third test, the applicant will be rejected.
An applicant for the position of police officer must meet the
following requirements:
A.
Body drag. An applicant is required to remove a simulated motor vehicle
operator weighing approximately 200 pounds from behind the steering
wheel of a motor vehicle and drag the simulated operator to a point
50 feet from the motor vehicle.
B.
Quarter mile run. An applicant is required to run a distance of 1/4
mile on a premeasured course in less than 110 seconds.
C.
Thirty-second trigger pull. Within a thirty-second time limit per
hand, an applicant is required to repeatedly pull 15 times for each
hand the trigger of a double action nonfunctional revolver with arms
horizontally extended.
A.
The Commission shall request the Chief of Police or the Chief's
designee to conduct a background investigation on each applicant.
The background investigation shall also include interviews with the
applicant's family, acquaintances, current and former employers,
current and former neighbors, references and current and former teachers
and school officials. At a minimum, personal interviews shall be conducted
with at least three people that have personal knowledge of the applicant
but who are not related to the applicant and with the applicant's
employer(s) for the past five years. The background investigation
shall also include a criminal history check, including the submission
of fingerprints to the Central Repository for the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The applicant's
credit history and record of criminal convictions shall also be investigated,
as well as the applicant's driving record for verification that
he possesses a valid driver's license. The applicant may be interviewed
directly when the information collected during the background investigation
requires clarification or explanation.
B.
If necessary to complete a thorough background investigation on any
applicant, the Commission may, upon the request of the Chief of Police
or his designee, subpoena the personnel records maintained by any
other Police Department(s) by which the applicant was previously employed.
C.
After the background investigation is completed, the Chief, or designee,
shall make a written recommendation to the Commission on whether the
applicant is appropriate for consideration for appointment as a police
officer.
D.
Appropriateness of the applicant shall be based on the criteria set
forth in Section 3.6 of these rules. This recommendation shall be
in writing and, if the recommendation is to disqualify, then a written
explanation of the reasons for disqualification must be included.
The Commission shall make the final determination on whether the information
collected during the background investigation warrants rejection of
the candidate. Within 30 days after the Commission considers the recommendation
of the Chief of Police or designee, each applicant will be informed
of whether they have passed the background investigation.
Applicants applying for the position of Corporal or Sergeant
shall not be required to submit to a physical agility examination,
background investigation, polygraph examination, or medical or psychological
examination.
