[Amended 6-25-1999 by Ord. No. 99-13; 6-8-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-11]
A. The Police
Department shall be under the administrative control of the Township
Manager and shall be governed by the Charter of the Township. Accordingly,
the Township Manager shall be the appropriate authority in all matters
regarding the establishment and implementation of the rules and regulations
of the Police Department. The Chief of Police shall be directly responsible
to the appropriate authority for the efficiency and routine day-to-day
operations thereof pursuant to policies established by the appropriate
authority.
B. The rules
and regulations of the Pequannock Township Police Department, as recommended
by the Chief of Police, shall be fully operable upon the approval
of the Township Manager.
[Amended 6-22-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-12; 11-22-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-17]
The Police Department of this Township shall consist of a Chief
of Police, a Captain, two Lieutenants, six Sergeants, and up to 25
police officers.
Every member of the Police Department, before entering upon
the performance of his duties, shall take and subscribe an oath or
affirmation faithfully and impartially to discharge the duties of
his office and shall file such oath or affirmation with the Township
Clerk and sign the police register.
The head of the Police Department shall be known as the Chief,
and he shall be responsible to the Township Manager for the efficiency
and discipline of the Department. In the absence or disability of
the Chief, his duties shall be assumed by the next officer to command
in order of rank. The order of rank of the officers shall be: Chief,
Captain of Police, Lieutenant of Police and Sergeant of Police. The
other police officers shall rank in order of the seniority of their
appointment to the Department.
The members of the Police Department will be held responsible
for the proper enforcement of all provisions of this Code and other
ordinances of the Township and the laws of the state. They shall arrest
without warrant any person who, in their presence, may violate any
provisions of this Code and other ordinances of the Township or be
guilty of disorderly conduct or commit a crime against the laws of
the state and shall promptly execute all warrants and serve all court
orders issued to them and such other papers as may be required of
them to be served within the Township. They shall patrol the streets
of the Township at such time and on such routes and perform such other
police duty and service as may be assigned to them by the Township
Manager or the Chief of Police.
The Chief of Police shall report in writing to the Township
Manager on all matters pertaining to his Department, giving a complete
record of all arrests and complaints, together with dispositions of
the same, and such recommendations as, in his opinion, will increase
the efficiency of the Department.
The Chief of Police shall be a citizen of the United States.
The Chief and every member of the Police Department shall be able
to read and write the English language understandingly and must be
of good moral character, good health and sound body, and shall attend
in-service training as required by law or recommended by the Chief
of Police.
No person shall be appointed a member of the Police Department
who is less than 18 years of age at the time of his appointment.