Fees for various police services are indicated by the following:
(1) 
Registration of alarm system.
Every owner of premises in the city equipped with a burglar alarm system shall register such alarm system with the police department and shall pay a one-time registration fee.
(2) 
False alarm calls.
Any owner or agent of premises equipped with a burglar alarm system shall endeavor to minimize false alarm calls. If, in any 12-month period starting January 1 of each year, the premises experience more than five false alarm calls, the owner or agent shall pay unto the city a fee for each false alarm thereafter.
(3) 
Security at special functions or events.
The police department shall be compensated when requested to provide security at special functions or events.
(4) 
Fingerprinting.
Fingerprinting for private use shall be performed with the payment of a fee as established by the city council.
(5) 
Release of impounded vehicle.
An administrative fee shall be collected at the police department prior to the release of any vehicle impounded by the police department. The fee to be collected shall be as established by the city council.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-2; 1998 Code, sec. 102-2; Ordinance 2010-05-001, sec. 2, adopted 5/18/10; 2013 Code, sec. 28-1)
The following shall be the number of police officers in addition to the chief for each classification within the city:
POLICE OFFICERS
Captains: Exempt
2
Sergeants
4
Corporals
4
Patrol officers
18
(1998 Code, sec. 102-3; Ordinance 97-0116, sec. 1, adopted 9/17/97; Ordinance 2009004, sec. 1, adopted 3/3/09; Ordinance 2012-10-001, sec. 1, adopted 10/16/12; 2013 Code, sec. 28-2)
(a) 
Lateral entry pay for police officers as defined in subsection (b) of this section is hereby authorized, with detailed rules and regulations for qualifying standards, eligibility, and administration of such pay to be stated in the Civil Service Commission Local Rules.
(b) 
The City Council deems that police officers who are hired with prior full-time law enforcement experience will be placed on the City of Forest Hill's Police Department Step Plan Pay Scale based on the following formula.
(1) 
Applicants for police officer who are hired after the effective date of this section shall be eligible for Special Seniority pay if they have at least two years continuous service as a paid, full-time licensed peace officer with the authority to enforce laws, investigate crimes, make arrests, respond to calls for service, carry a firearm, and use discretion as part of their assigned duties. A lateral entry applicant shall not have more than a three year break in service from the time the applicant left a comparable law enforcement agency to the time the applicant took the entrance eligibility examination with the Forest Hill Police Department.
(2) 
The starting pay for lateral entry officers with prior experience will be determined based on the number of years employed by their previous agency or agencies on the date of their Civil Service Entrance Examination with the Forest Hill Police Department. For purposes of hiring, all lateral entry officer candidates must successfully complete each step in the Civil Service hiring process in the same manner as any other candidate.
(3) 
Lateral entry officers who have at least two years of qualified service at a law enforcement agency shall be credited with their total number of whole years of service. These officers shall be placed at the step in the police pay schedule commensurate with their qualified complete years of experience up to, but not exceeding, the rate of pay specified in the highest step of the police officer step pay plan.
(4) 
Previous Forest Hill police officers who are re-appointed as police officers shall be placed in the same salary step they held at the time of their separation.
(5) 
The Lateral Entry Program described in this section is for lateral entry pay purposes only to determine placement into the existing pay structure. Actual work experience in another agency will not be considered for promotional eligibility requirements, or departmental seniority, or transfers. Departmental seniority for lateral entry officers and re-appointed officers will begin on their most recent Civil Service hire date with the Forest Hill Police Department.
(6) 
Guidelines and administration for eligibility for lateral entry shall be governed by Civil Service Commission Rules. The Chief of Police shall make the final determination as to whether an applicant meets the criteria for the Lateral Entry Program, and the Chief's decision shall be final and non-appealable to the Civil Service Commission or to any court.
(Ordinance 2025-19 adopted 8/19/2025)
An auxiliary police force, to be known as the police reserve, is hereby established, such force to be separate and distinct from the police department.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-15; 1998 Code, sec. 102-31; 2013 Code, sec. 28-23)
The police reserve force shall be composed of personnel who have volunteered to join the organization and whose applications for membership have been accepted and who have complied with all rules, regulations, and orders provided for the conduct and control of the members thereof. It shall be composed of not more than 15 members.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-16; 1998 Code, sec. 102-32; 2013 Code, sec. 28-24)
The chief of police may by order diminish or expand the membership of the police reserve force as may be required within the limit established therefor.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-17; 1998 Code, sec. 102-33; 2013 Code, sec. 28-25)
Application for membership in the police reserve force shall be filed with the police department. Such application shall be on a form prescribed by the chief of police and approved by the city manager.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-18; 1998 Code, sec. 102-34; 2013 Code, sec. 28-26)
Each applicant for membership in the police reserve force shall not have to be an actual resident of the city and shall furnish satisfactory proof of good character, temperate habits, freedom from communicable diseases and physical ability to perform the duties of the position for which he seeks appointment.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-19; 1998 Code, sec. 102-35; 2013 Code, sec. 28-27)
Any qualifications established for the position of police reserve force officers for the city shall meet the minimum physical, mental, educational and moral standards established by the state commission on law enforcement officer standards and education, but may be stricter than the standards of the commission.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-20; 1998 Code, sec. 102-36; 2013 Code, sec. 28-28)
A list of eligibles compiled by the chief of police and accompanied by a complete set of fingerprints or supplemented immediately by fingerprinting by the police department, which fingerprints shall be checked by the identification bureau to ascertain any criminal record of such person, shall be maintained by the police department. Members of the police reserve force shall be appointed by the chief of police from such list of eligibles.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-21; 1998 Code, sec. 102-37; 2013 Code, sec. 28-29)
Every person who may be selected by the chief of police as a police reserve force officer shall subscribe to an oath that he will observe and obey the Constitution of the United States, the constitution of this state and the laws of this nation, this state and this city, and that he will carry out the duties of a member of the police reserve force to the best of his abilities.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-22; 1998 Code, sec. 102-38; 2013 Code, sec. 28-30)
Members of the police reserve force shall act only in a supplementary capacity to the regular police force and shall in no case assume the full-time duties of regular police officers without first complying with all requirements for such regular police officers.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-23; 1998 Code, sec. 102-39; 2013 Code, sec. 28-31)
The chief of police shall be the head of the police reserve force, and the members of the reserve force shall be under the authority, control and command of the chief of police, subject to all ordinances of the city and to this division.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-24; 1998 Code, sec. 102-40; 2013 Code, sec. 28-32)
The chief of police may, by order, establish rules and regulations to govern the police reserve force, to fix specific duties of its members, and to provide for the maintenance of discipline. He may change such orders from time to time, and he may command members of the police reserve force to obey the instructions of a regular police officer in carrying out their orders.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-25; 1998 Code, sec. 102-41; 2013 Code, sec. 28-33)
The chief of police shall prescribe the uniforms and badges for the members of the police reserve force and direct the manner in which the same shall be worn. Each individual reserve officer shall bear the cost of the uniform and badge, but shall be reimbursed for such expenses after 12 months’ consecutive service.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-26; 1998 Code, sec. 102-42; 2013 Code, sec. 28-34)
The duties of the police reserve force, subject at all times to the direction, supervision, and control of the chief of police, shall be to assist the regular members of the police department in the enforcement of law and the maintenance of peace and order during periods of emergency designated by the chief of police. The chief may prescribe other duties than those mentioned herein to be performed by the police reserve force, not inconsistent with the provisions of this division.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-27; 1998 Code, sec. 102-43; 2013 Code, sec. 28-35)
A member of the police reserve force shall have the following powers of arrest and none other:
(1) 
He may arrest only while on active duty.
(2) 
He may arrest for a public offense committed in his presence.
(3) 
He may arrest a person who he knows as a fact has committed a felony, even though it was not committed in his presence.
(4) 
He may arrest when a felony in fact has been committed, when he has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested to have committed the felony.
(5) 
He may lend physical aid to any regular member of the police department in making any lawful arrest, when authorized by the chief of police or requested by any regular member of the police department.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-28; 1998 Code, sec. 102-44; 2013 Code, sec. 28-36)
No member of the police reserve force shall break into or otherwise forcefully enter upon private property or enter the dwelling or habitation of another person without the consent of a member of the police department who then and there requests his aid in the enforcement of the law.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-29; 1998 Code, sec. 102-45; 2013 Code, sec. 28-37)
Membership of any person in the police reserve force may be terminated by the chief of police at any time for any cause deemed sufficient by the chief of police or the city manager. Any member may resign from the police reserve force at any time, but it shall be his duty to notify the chief of police of his resignation.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-30; 1998 Code, sec. 102-46; 2013 Code, sec. 28-38)
No person appointed to the police reserve force may carry a weapon or otherwise act as a peace officer until he has been approved by the chief of police and/or the city manager. After approval, he may carry a weapon only when authorized by the chief of police and when discharging official duties as a duly constituted peace officer.
(1976 Code, sec. 25-31; 1998 Code, sec. 102-47; 2013 Code, sec. 28-39)