Borough of Morrisville, PA: Duties and responsibilities of the Chief of Police.

[Amended 11-9-1988 by Ord. No. 829]

A Police Department is hereby established in and for Borough of Morrisville, to consist of a Chief of Police, one Sergeant and so many Corporals and other policemen as Borough Council shall from time to time appoint.

§ 80-2 Status of present Police Department and police officers.

In any case in which the Borough has heretofore appointed a Chief of Police, Sergeants or policemen or established a Police Department by action of Council but not by or pursuant to an ordinance regularly enacted, such action shall be deemed to have been a valid exercise of the legislative power of the Borough for all purposes the same as though an ordinance had been enacted and all policemen, including the Chief of Police and Sergeants, appointed thereunder shall occupy the same status and shall have the same rights and privileges as in the case of policemen, Chief of Police and Sergeants appointed under the authority of an ordinance.

§ 80-3 Powers and duties.

The Police Department hereby established shall have all of the powers and shall assume all of the duties as set forth with particularity in § 1121 of the Borough Code; i.e., the Act of February 1, 1966, P.L. 581, Article XI, as supplemented and amended.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 46121 et seq.

Powers of police officers. In addition to the powers conferred upon municipal police officers by the Borough Code and all other laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, police officers of the Borough of Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, shall, upon view, have the right of arrest without warrant upon probable cause when there is ongoing conduct that imperils the personal security of any person or endangers public or private property for the following offenses:

[Amended 6-10-1997 by Ord. No. 886]

(1)

Disorderly conduct (18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5503).

(2)

Public drunkenness (18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5505).

(3)

Obstructing highways (18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5507).

(4)

Underage drinking (18 Pa.C.S.A. § 6308).

Compliance with Rule of Criminal Procedure No. 71 required. When a person has been arrested without a warrant for summary offense, police officers shall comply with the requirements of Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure No. 71.

[Amended 6-10-1997 by Ord. No. 886]

§ 80-4 Duties and responsibilities of the Chief of Police.

[Added 6-15-2020 by Ord. No. 1029]

The primary function of the Chief of Police is to control, plan and direct the activities of the Police Department subject to the policies adopted by Council and supervision by the Mayor pursuant to Pennsylvania law.

The duties of Chief of Police shall include the following:

(1)

Administrative duties. The Chief of Police shall:

(a)

Efficiently supervise the police force;

(b)

Establish an effective chain of command within the Department;

(c)

Ensure accountability of all Borough police officers;

(d)

Establish written goals and objectives for the Department on an annual basis;

(e)

Develop managerial tools and operating foundations necessary for achieving the stated goals and objectives of the Department;

(f)

Establish a monthly reporting system concerning Departmental service outputs;

(g)

Establish and maintain an internal affairs records system consisting of, at least, an internal affairs index system and a filing system for all documents and records;

(h)

Evaluate the work performance of all Borough police officers on at least an annual basis and to document the evaluations in writing, which shall be maintained in each police officer's personnel file;

(i)

Provide the Borough Manager, on a monthly basis, a statement regarding the financial operations of the Police Department, including a report of the overall revenues, expenses, year to date overtime and hours expended by officers of the Department, status of equipment and vehicles, and any other matter required to be reported by the Borough Manager;

(j)

Submit any and all requests for expenditures of budgeted funds, hiring of additional officers or employees or the purchase of vehicles or equipment, and the scheduling of any overtime or additional shifts which will result in costs that exceed the dollar amounts budgeted for overtime or additional shifts in the Borough's annual budget to the Borough Manager who shall be responsible to approve or deny same with the approval of Council; the Chief shall not make such requests directly to Council;

(k)

Maintain professional public relations with members of the public, citizenry and media;

(l)

Coordinate the activities of the Morrisville Police Department with the activities of the other offices and officials of the Borough;

(m)

Cooperate with other local, county, state and federal police agencies;

(n)

Strictly comply with the procedures contained in the Borough's Internal Affairs Policy, as adopted by Council;

(o)

Report to the Borough Council and the Mayor any complaint, written or verbal, filed against any police officer that contains allegations of a crime, workplace harassment or where the complaint contains allegations which could, if proven to be true, result in the discharge, suspension or demotion of a Borough police officer;

(p)

Attend Council meetings at the request of Council and give a report of the Police Department as directed by Council;

(q)

Perform all other administrative duties set forth in the Morrisville Borough Police Department Policy and Procedures Manual, so long as such duties do not conflict with the provisions of this section;

(r)

Ensure that s/he and all Borough police officers maintain current certifications as required by the Municipal Police Officers Education Training Commission.

(2)

Supervisory duties. The Chief of Police shall:

(a)

Be ready, willing and able to perform the official duties of Borough police officers under the Chief's command as designated by Council pursuant to state law;

(b)

Enforce the provisions of all ordinances, resolutions, motions, rules and regulations heretofore or hereafter lawfully adopted by the Council of the Borough of Morrisville relating to the operation and maintenance of the Morrisville Police Department;

(c)

Notify all members of the Morrisville Police Department of the provisions of all ordinances, resolutions, motions, rules and regulations heretofore or hereafter lawfully adopted by the Council of the Borough of Morrisville relating to the operation and maintenance of the Morrisville Police Department;

(d)

Detail such orders to the members of the Morrisville Police Department as may be necessary for them to execute the instructions of the Mayor as they relate to the way their designated duties are to be performed;

(e)

Inspect all members of the police force from time to time, supervise their general conduct, observe their performance of duty, and report the same to the Mayor and Council with such recommendations as s/he may deem advisable;

(f)

Require subordinate officers to report on duty wearing the approved uniform;

(g)

If available, report to the scene of any fatality, serious crime of violence or disaster affecting the Borough of Morrisville and to all serious fires, explosions, disasters, riots or other tumultuous assemblages within the Borough, assume command of the police officers there present, protect property, dispel all crowds if necessary and cause the arrest of any person refusing to take orders, disturbing the peace or inciting others to do so;

(h)

In the event Borough Council designates the Chief to serve as the Borough's Emergency Management Coordinator ("EMC"), the Chief, in that designated capacity, shall report directly to the Borough Manager. Should the Chief be unable to execute the duties of EMC, then any other person designated by Council to execute the duties of this position shall report directly to the Borough Manager;

(i)

Carry out all duties imposed upon him/her by law;

(j)

To perform all other supervisory duties set forth in the Morrisville Borough Police Department Policy and Procedures Manual and/or job descriptions adopted by Council, so long as such duties do not conflict with the provisions of this section.