[Amended 5-12-09 by Ord. No. 2009-6; 2-8-11 by Ord. No. 2011-2]
A.
Applications for appointment to the Police Department shall be made on a form and in a manner approved by the Town Administrator. When the Council from time to time determines to fill vacancies, applicants meeting the requirements of § 28-7 hereof shall be provided with a written examination, with a necessary passing grade of 65%. If successful, then a physical fitness examination shall be completed, with a passing score necessary for all events. Then, if successful, an oral examination with a passing grade of 70% is needed. Eligible Class I and Class II applicants will first be offered the opportunity to take the oral examination, if all other requirements are met. The remaining applicant classes shall be offered the opportunity to take the oral examination after Class I and Class II applicants are exhausted for appointments. In the event of a tie of the final tabulated score based on the above, the applicant with the higher written score shall receive precedence in ranking of the tied applicants. If an applicant successfully passes all the testing components described above, a Police Department background investigation shall be completed. The names of all applicants who pass the aforementioned procedures for appointment shall be brought before the Mayor and Council for consideration for appointment and ranked based upon test results and § 28-7.1 above. Once given a conditional offer of employment, an applicant must also successfully complete a psychological and medical fitness evaluation for service as a police officer. The testing agencies and physicians shall be those designated by the Town Administrator and approved by the Mayor and Council.
[Amended 11-12-91 by Ord. No. 91-37; 4-27-93 by Ord. No. 93-20; 11-7-01 by Ord. No. 2001-26;
2-24-15 by Ord. No. 2015-3; 2-27-18
by Ord. No. 2018-9; 11-10-2020 by Ord. No.
2020-22]
B.
Any such list shall remain in effect for no more than one year from
the date the first applicant is appointed by the Mayor and Council,
unless extended by the Mayor and Council for not more than one additional
year. Further, the Mayor and Council reserve the right to reject any
such list and call for a new examination.
[Amended 12-9-03 by Ord. No. 2003-26; 10-24-06 by Ord. No. 2006-24]
C.
No applicant shall hereafter be given or accept a permanent appointment
as a police officer in the Town of Secaucus in the event a departmental
background investigation discloses a lack of good moral character,
willful falsification of any information on the application for appointment
submitted in accordance with this chapter. Such disqualification shall
permanently disqualify the candidate from any future application for
appointment as a police officer, as well. Further, any candidate whose
departmental background investigation discloses a prior disciplinary
determination from employment by the Town of Secaucus shall be disqualified
from further processing of their application. However, such candidate
may appeal the disqualification in writing to the Town Administrator,
who shall present the matter, including any supporting statement or
documentation from the candidate, to the Mayor and Council. The Mayor
and Council may, in their sole discretion, reinstate the candidate
and permit that candidate to serve if found to be qualified.
[Amended 9-25-90 by Ord. No. 90-25; 11-27-01 by Ord. No. 2001-26; 12-9-03 by Ord. No. 2003-26]
[Amended 4-24-90 by Ord. No. 90-11; 2-10-15 by Ord. No. 2015-1]
No person shall hereafter be given or accept a permanent appointment as a police officer in the Town of Secaucus unless such person has successfully completed a basic police training course at a school designated by the Chief of Police and approved by the governing body, and shall receive certification at such designated school, which school is approved and authorized by the Police Training Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety of the State of New Jersey, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 65 of the Laws of 1961.
All appointments and promotions pursuant to this chapter shall
be considered probationary. The period of probationary service for
the rank of police officer shall be for such a period as is set forth
in the labor agreement covering them, and the probationary period
for promotions covered by this chapter shall be for a period of one
year.
No person shall be permitted to take the basic training course
unless such person holds a probationary or temporary appointment as
a police officer in the Town of Secaucus, and such appointee shall
be entitled to a leave of absence with pay during the period of the
basic police training course.
A.
Notwithstanding other provisions contained in this chapter, in the event that the governing body finds that it would be in the best interest of the Town of Secaucus to waive the regular process and hire one or more police officers who will be appointed to a probationary period as proved by this Article who satisfy the following conditions, then the governing body, in its discretion, may waive the requirements that such officer take a written examination and oral examination as specified in § 28-8A, and may hire the probationary officer(s). However, prior to hiring such probationary officer under these circumstances, all candidates must first complete the Police Department background investigation in accordance with the terms of this Article and satisfactorily complete the physical fitness and psychological/medical fitness evaluation for service as a police officer. The conditions which such lateral hires must satisfy are as follows:
[Added 3-13-12 by Ord. No. 2012-3]
(1)
The applicant must be serving as a law enforcement officer in any
State of New Jersey, county, or municipal law enforcement department
or agency or County Sheriff's office at the time of application; or
(2)
Must have at least two years experience prior to an application for
such lateral transfer as a law enforcement officer in any State of
New Jersey, county, or municipal law enforcement department or agency,
or County Sheriff's office and served in that capacity within the
24 months preceding his or her application for lateral transfer to
the Town Police Department; and
(3)
Must have satisfactorily completed a working test period in a New
Jersey state law enforcement title or in a law enforcement title in
a county or municipality which has adopted Title 11A, Civil Service,
of New Jersey statutes or has satisfactorily completed a comparable,
documented probationary period in a law enforcement title in a county
or municipality which has not adopted Title 11A, Civil Service, of
New Jersey statutes;
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First priority for such transfer shall be given to any residents
of the Town of Secaucus followed by other residents of Hudson County
and, finally, residents of the State of New Jersey.
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It is expressly understood that all seniority and seniority
related privileges and rank that an applicant for lateral transfer
possessed at the time of said application for lateral transfer with
any previous employee shall not be transferable to any new position
in the Town of Secaucus and it is further understood that the governing
body, in its discretion, may appoint said individual to the rank of
patrolman at a salary to be set by the governing body.
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All promotions within the Police Department shall be made from
membership of the Department and no person shall be eligible for promotion
to a superior officer's position until said person shall have served
previously as a police officer in the Department for at least four
years for promotion to the rank of Sergeant, and one year in such
succeeding rank for promotion to the next higher rank. For promotions
beyond the rank of Sergeant, the governing body reserves the right
to waive the requirement that said persons shall have served previously
as a police officer in the Department for at least one year in such
succeeding rank for promotion to the next higher rank.
[Amended 5-10-88 by Ord. No. 88-15; 10-23-12 by Ord. No. 2012-36; 2-10-15 by Ord. No. 2015-1; 8-23-16
by Ord. No. 2016-21; 3-24-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-5]
A.
All applicants for promotion up to and including the rank of Sergeant
and Lieutenant shall submit applications in writing to the Town Administrator,
who will coordinate the promotional process. Applications shall be
made on such forms as are designated by the Chief of Police and forwarded
to the Town Administrator by the Chief of Police. When the Mayor and
Council determine that there are promotional vacancies for the position
of Lieutenant or Sergeant to be filled, qualified applicants shall
be evaluated based upon:
B.
All applicants
for promotion to Captain shall submit applications in writing to the
Town Administrator, who will coordinate the promotional process. Applications
shall be made on such forms as are designated by the Chief of Police
and forwarded to the Town Administrator by the Chief of Police. When
the Mayor and Council determine that there are promotional vacancies
for the position of Captain, qualified applicants shall be evaluated
based upon:
C.
The written examination shall be administered by a suitable agency
designated by the Chief of Police and approved by the Mayor and Council.
The oral examination shall be administered by an agency designated
by the Chief of Police and approved by the Mayor and Council. The
oral examination shall review such criteria, including, but not limited
to, oral communication, stress tolerance, decisiveness, leadership
and initiative.
[Amended 10-24-06 by Ord. No. 2006-24; 10-23-12 by Ord. No. 2012-36; 2-10-15 by Ord. No. 2015-1; 11-9-16
by Ord. No. 2016-28; 3-24-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-5]
A.
The Town Administrator of the Town of Secaucus shall report the scores
of all the candidates for Sergeant and Lieutenant based upon the results
of the examination set forth heretofore that shall be done by computing
those scores in accordance with the following formula with a maximum
total score of 100:
B.
The Town
Administrator of the Town of Secaucus shall report the scores of all
the candidates for Captain based upon the results of the examination
set forth heretofore that shall be done by computing those scores
in accordance with the following formula with a maximum total score
of 100:
(1)
Oral
examination: 95 points.
(2)
Length
of service: five points.
(a)
Length of service points for sergeant candidates.
[1]
Length of service points for sergeant candidates will be given as
follows:
[a]
Four years of service: zero points.
[b]
Five years of service: 0.5 points.
[c]
Six years of service: one point.
[d]
Seven years of service: 1.5 points.
[e]
Eight years of service: two points.
[f]
Nine years of service: 2.5 points.
[g]
Ten years of service: three points.
[h]
Eleven years of service: 3.5 points.
[i]
Twelve years of service: four points.
[j]
Thirteen years of service: 4.5 points.
[k]
Fourteen years of service: five points.
[2]
These points will be based upon each year of service completed prior
to the date of the written examination.
(b)
Length of service points for Lieutenant and Captain candidates.
[1]
Length of service points for Lieutenant and Captain candidates will
be given as follows:
[a]
One year of service in the prior grade: zero points.
[b]
Two years of service in the prior grade: 0.5 points.
[c]
Three years of service in the prior grade: one point.
[d]
Four years of service in the prior grade: 1.5 points.
[e]
Five years of service in the prior grade: two points.
[f]
Six years of service in the prior grade: 2.5 points.
[g]
Seven years of service in the prior grade: three points.
[h]
Eight years of service in the prior grade: 3.5 points.
[i]
Nine years of service in the prior grade: four points.
[j]
Ten years of service in the prior grade: 4.5 points.
[k]
Eleven years of service in the prior grade: five points.
[2]
These points will be based upon each year of service completed prior
to the date of the written examination for Lieutenants and prior to
the date of the oral examinations for Captains.
C.
After the scores are tabulated, the Town Administrator shall consult
with the Chief of Police and review all scores and compile a list
of candidates in order of point standing. In any situation in which
two or more applicants receive the same ranking score, preference
shall first be given to combat veterans and then to non-combat veterans
(as defined by N.J.S.A. 11A:5-1 et seq.) over nonveterans and then
to residents over nonresidents. Should there remain a tie after the
above process, the Mayor and Council shall have the discretion to
appoint from among those who are tied. For each rank, the Town Administrator
shall then compile a list of finalists and provide such list in order
of point standing to the Mayor and Council for their consideration
for appointment.
D.
Appeal of promotion process.
(1)
Within 10 days of the posting of the ranking of candidates, a candidate
may file a written letter of appeal. Said letter must contain the
reason(s) or justification(s) for an appeal and must be submitted
to the Town Administrator, through the appropriate chain of command.
The Town Administrator will assess the request, and make a determination
of how the request will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Such
requests may address the following areas of the promotional process:
E.
After the Mayor and Council are provided the list of eligible candidates,
the Mayor shall appoint a committee of two Council members and the
Chief of Police. The committee shall review each candidate's personnel
file and consider the candidate's disciplinary record, attendance
records, and any commendations that the candidate has received. The
committee will then forward their recommendations to the Mayor and
Council to make the ultimate determination of which candidate shall
be appointed.
F.
Any such list shall remain in effect for no more than three years
from the date of the first appointment, unless extended by the Mayor
and Council for one additional year. Further, the Mayor and Council
reserve the right to reject any such list and call for a new examination.
[Added 3-13-12 by Ord. No. 2012-3]
A.
Procedures for promotion beyond rank of Captain/ supervisory or management
positions.
Notwithstanding other provisions contained in this chapter,
all applicants for promotion to and including the rank of Deputy Police
Chief (or any supervisory positions, then existing beyond the rank
of Captain) shall submit written applications for such promotions
to the Town Administrator. Any such promotions shall be made from
the membership of the Town's Department or force. When the governing
body determines that there are promotional vacancies for such positions,
the Mayor shall appoint three members to a committee, comprised of
two Council Members and the Chief of Police, who shall interview all
such applicants. The Committee shall recommend an applicant for such
promotion after giving due consideration to the applicant's length
and merit of service. The Committee shall give preference according
to seniority and service and no person shall be eligible for promotion
to such a position unless he or she shall have previously served as
a patrolman in the Town's Department or force. In no event shall a
member or officer of the Police Department be promoted under the provisions
of this section until he or she has served at least three years as
a member of the Town's Department or force.
B.
Should the applicant fail to be promoted by the governing body within
120 days of the date of the Committee's written recommendation being
filed with the Town Administrator and Town Clerk, then the Committee's
recommendation shall lapse and any applicants for promotion beyond
that date will need to again undergo the process enumerated in this
section.
