Township of Springfield, NJ Article XI Police Department

§ 5-58 Creation; composition.

A. The Police Department is hereby established. It shall consist of a Chief of Police and the following: one Lieutenant, one Sergeant First Class, two Sergeants and such members and officers, including temporary officers, as shall be deemed necessary by the Council.

[Amended 9-14-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-09]

B. The Council is hereby designated as the "appropriate authority" as provided in N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118 et seq. The Chief of Police shall report to the Manager relative to the efficiency and day-to-day operations of the Police Department.

C. The duties, responsibilities and qualifications of the positions set forth herein shall be determined by the Chief of Police with the approval of Council. The duties, responsibilities and qualifications for each of the positions shall be as set forth in detail and shall become part of the rules and regulations of the Police Department.

D. No person shall be appointed to the Police Department who is not qualified, as provided in the New Jersey statutes and the Police Department's rules and regulations.

E. In the absence of the Chief of Police as a result of retirement, vacation, disability, or for another reason, the Township Manager shall designate an "Officer in Charge" of the Police Department from among police officers currently serving in the Police Department.

[Added 3-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-2]

§ 5-59 General duties of Department.

The Police Department shall preserve the public peace; protect life and property; detect, arrest and prosecute offenders of the laws of New Jersey and the ordinances of Springfield Township; direct and control traffic; provide attendance and protection during emergencies; provide appearances in court; cooperate with all other law enforcement agencies; and provide training for the efficiency of its members and officers.

§ 5-60 Chief of Police; duties.

A. The Chief of Police shall be the head of the Department and shall be responsible to and work under the supervision of the Manager, reporting to the Council through the Manager. The Chief shall be responsible for the vigorous prosecution of orders, rules, directives, regulations and policies of the Township and shall perform such other duties as shall be required.

B. It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police:

(1) To preserve the public peace and to see that all the laws and ordinances related thereto are properly enforced.

(2) To faithfully and promptly obey, and cause all the members of the Department to obey, all the rules, regulations and orders prescribed and issued by the Manager.

(3) To administer and enforce the rules and regulations of the Police Department and any special emergency directive for the disposition and discipline of the Department, its members and officers.

(4) To have, exercise and discharge the functions, powers and duties of the Police Department.

(5) To prescribe the duties and assignments of all members and officers.

(6) To report at least monthly to the Council and the Manager, in such form as shall be prescribed, on the operation of the Police Department during the preceding month and make such other reports as may be required by the Manager or by the Council acting through the Manager.

(7) To perform all the duties set forth in N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118.

(8) To serve as the Coordinator of the Springfield Township Office of Emergency Manager as defined in §§ 5-62 through 5-71.

[Added 4-10-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-04]

§ 5-61 Rules and regulations.

A. The Chief of Police, subject to the review and recommendation of the Manager and the approval of the Council, shall make such rules and regulations concerning the conduct and duties of the officers and personnel, the kind of uniform and insignia to be worn by them and concerning such other matters as may be necessary for the proper regulation of the Police Department, and may embody all or any of them, and recommended schedules for infractions, in a manual to be known as the Duty Manual, Springfield Township Police Department. Any neglect or violation by any member of the Police Department of any rule, regulation or order shall be sufficient cause for the imposition of disciplinary actions by the Chief, including suspension with or without pay or dismissal from the Department.

B. All disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-147.

§ 5-61.1 Appointment of regular police officers.

[Added 11-9-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-12]

A. Qualifications. Specific entrance qualifications for persons to be appointed as regular members of the Police Department shall be as follows:

(1) United States citizenship.

(2) A resident of the State of New Jersey pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-122.8.

(3) Age of not less than 18 years nor more than 35 years. However, age restrictions shall not conflict with current state or federal law pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-127.

(4) A minimum of a high school diploma or a GED equivalent shall be required at the time of the written test.

(5) The applicant must pass a physical agility test which determines that the applicant has adequate height, weight, strength and endurance for the performance of essential job functions.

(6) Vision and hearing adequate to perform essential job functions.

(7) If an applicant has a criminal conviction, other than a disqualifying conviction pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:51-2, the Springfield Township Police Department shall investigate such record and consider such factors as may be required by law to determine whether the applicant is qualified.

(8) The applicant must possess a valid motor vehicle license that is in good standing and issued by this state.

(9) The applicant must be able to pass a psychological and/or psychiatric evaluation prior to appointment as a regular police officer.

(10) The applicant must be able to pass a comprehensive medical examination prior to appointment as a regular police officer.

B. Application process. All applicants for appointment as regular members of the Springfield Township Police Department must submit a completed application for appointment to the Chief of Police. Said application shall be on a form promulgated by the Chief of Police.

C. Examination process. Each applicant for appointment to the Police Department shall undergo the following application process, in the following order:

(1) Written examination.

(a) A written examination for appointment as a regular police officer will be conducted by a professional testing company as determined by the Township Council, which will be established as the Springfield Township Police Department's choice to conduct written examinations for appointment, which are job-related and nondiscriminatory.

(b) The professional testing company as determined by the Township Council will be responsible for scoring the written test. The written test is scored on a scale of one through 100.

(c) Passing score equals 70.

(d) Candidates must receive a passing score to continue their eligibility for the examination process.

(2) Physical agility examination.

(a) The physical agility test shall be conducted by members of the Springfield Township Police Department as designated by the Chief of Police.

(b) All candidates for appointment who have qualified to participate in the physical agility examination by obtaining a passing score of 70% or higher on the written examination shall be required to obtain a certification from a physician, licensed in the State of New Jersey, stating that the applicant is physically fit and able to engage in strenuous exercise.

(c) All exercises performed during the physical agility test shall be job-related for the position of police officer.

(d) The Springfield Township Police Department's physical agility test shall be comprised of six events: push ups, sit ups, long jump (broad jump), chin ups, a half mile run and an obstacle course.

(e) Passing score equals 70.

(f) Candidates must receive a passing score to continue their eligibility for the examination process.

D. Scoring. Those individuals who have successfully passed both the written and physical agility examinations shall have their scores from both examinations combined and then averaged to produce an overall score for this portion of the appointment process. Candidates shall be ranked with the person achieving the highest overall score ranked number one. The list of eligible candidates for consideration for appointment will begin with the officer who finished number one in the process.

E. Background examination: pass/fail.

(1) All background investigations for appointment to the position of regular patrol officer shall be conducted by the Springfield Township Police Department.

(2) The names of the top 10 candidates for appointment as established under § 5-61.1D shall be submitted to the Chief of Police for background investigation.

(3) As part of the background investigation process, each applicant shall have his or her fingerprints taken and forwarded to the New Jersey State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(4) Considered during the background investigation will include but not be limited to:

(a) Applicant's criminal record.

(b) Applicant's driving history.

(c) Applicant's prior law enforcement experience.

(d) Applicant's prior work history.

(e) Applicant's current and prior credit history.

(f) Applicant's truthfulness in completing the application.

(5) Candidates must receive a passing result during their background investigation in order to continue their eligibility for the examination process.

(6) If any of the top 10 candidates for appointment fails their respective background investigation, the name of the next candidate on the list of eligible candidates shall be submitted to the Chief of Police for background investigation.

(7) This process shall continue until the Chief of Police has established a list of 10 candidates for appointment who have passed their background investigation and are now eligible to continue to the oral interview phase of the appointment process.

F. Oral interview: pass/fail.

(1) The oral interview shall be conducted by an interview board consisting of the Chief of Police, one additional superior officer holding the rank of Sergeant or higher within the Springfield Township Police Department, to be designated by the Chief of Police, and one member of the Township Council, to be appointed by the Township Council.

(2) No more than 10 candidates for appointment will be eligible to participate in the oral interview phase of the appointment process based on their overall scores pursuant to § 5-61.1D and who have successfully passed their background investigation.

(3) The oral interview shall consist of a review of the applicant's initial application, background investigation, and a series of situational questions to test the candidate's overall qualifications. Each member of the oral interview panel shall consider the following factors when scoring candidates during the oral interview process. Each factor shall be uniformly considered and applied to all candidates.

(a) Appearance, manner and bearing (10% of total score).

(b) Self expression (10% of total score).

(c) Judgment (20% of total score).

(d) Decisiveness (20% of total score).

(e) In-service and/or specialized training (20% of total score).

(f) Scope and level of experience, including merit commendations (20% of total score).

(4) Candidates must receive a passing score to continue their eligibility for the examination process.

G. Medical examination: pass/fail. Candidates must receive a passing result to continue their eligibility for the examination process.

H. Psychological and/or psychiatric examination: pass/fail. Candidates must receive a passing result to continue their eligibility for the examination process.

I. Mandatory substance abuse test: pass/fail. Candidates must receive a passing result to continue their eligibility for the examination process.

J. Training course required. A training course shall be required as follows:

(1) No person shall be given or shall accept a permanent appointment as a regular police officer unless such person has successfully completed a police training course at a school approved and authorized by the Police Training Commission in the State Department of Law and Public Safety pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 52:17B-66 et seq.

(2) This subsection shall not prohibit the giving or accepting of a probationary or temporary appointment as a police officer for a period not to exceed six months to enable a person seeking a permanent appointment to complete a police training course as prescribed by the Police Training Commission.

(3) Every person holding a probationary or temporary appointment as a police officer in Springfield Township shall enroll in a police training course as prescribed by the Police Training Commission, and such appointee shall be entitled to a leave of absence with pay during the period of the police training course.

(4) A person may be given and may accept a permanent, full-time appointment as a regular police officer if such person has successfully completed a police training course pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-69.1 et seq.

(a) The person being appointed or seeking appointment under these circumstances must have successfully completed a basic course for police officers from a police training school authorized by the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, Police Training Commission, to conduct the alternate route basic course for police officers, as that method is defined and described by the Police Training Commission.

(b) Such person must have previously completed the basic course for police officers no more than three years prior to the date of application for employment with the Springfield Township Police Department. If such person was employed by a law enforcement agency prior to applying for employment with the Springfield Township Police Department, there must be no more than three years in any break in police service. An individual who completed the basic course for police officers more than three years prior to the date of application to the Springfield Township Police Department, or had a break in service of more than three years, shall be required to undergo retraining from a police training school authorized by the Police Training Commission.

(c) The hiring of any person who has successfully completed a basic course for police officers shall be contingent upon receipt of a Police Training Commission certificate permitting the exemption or waiver of training/retraining in the basic course for police officers.

(d) Any person applying for a position with the Springfield Township Police Department under these circumstances shall still be required to undergo any local testing, examination and training given and/or required by the Springfield Township Police Department.

K. Appointment.

(1) A list of eligible candidates for appointment will be created based on the candidate's oral interview, with consideration given to the candidate's performance in the written examination, physical agility examination and background investigation.

(2) The Chief of Police is not bound to make recommendations based solely on the numerical rankings of the candidates who have successfully completed the process.

(3) All recommendations for appointment as regular police officers shall originate with the Chief of Police as head of the Police Department.

(4) All candidates recommended for appointment by the Chief of Police must successfully pass a medical examination, psychological and/or psychiatric examination and substance abuse test prior to appointment as regular police officers with the Springfield Township Police Department.

L. Probationary period.

(1) All appointments to the position of regular police officer shall be probationary from the date of hire and shall continue for one year from the date of certification by the Police Training Commission. However, if the applicant holds a valid certification at the time of appointment, the probationary period shall be for one year from the date of appointment by the Township Council.

(2) The probationary period may be extended by the Chief of Police, for cause, for a period not to exceed one year. Upon the expiration of the probationary term, the appointment shall become permanent unless, at any time prior thereto, the probationary appointment is terminated by the Chief of Police.

M. Oath of allegiance. Any member appointed or hired shall, as a requisite to becoming a member of the Police Department and before entering upon his duties as such, take and subscribe to the oath of allegiance, as set forth in N.J.S.A. 41:1-1, and shall further swear or affirm to abide by, uphold and enforce the ordinances of the Township, including the provisions of this article, and to further swear or affirm to faithfully, impartially and justly perform all the duties of his position or office to the best of his ability. Such oath or affirmation shall be filed with the Township Clerk.

N. Waiver of written examination. Notwithstanding other provisions of this section:

[Added 3-14-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-02]

(1) Regular police officers currently in good standing with or released in good standing due to a reduction in force from another New Jersey Police Department meeting all of the requirements of Subsections A and B may have the requirement for a written examination waived provided that the score from their original written examination, if any, is available for consideration and provided, further, that the candidate has successfully completed the required training pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-66 et seq. The Chief of Police, notwithstanding the lack of a prior written examination or unavailability of the written examination score, may grant a waiver if he is otherwise satisfied that the candidate possesses the requisite knowledge, the candidate has not less than two years of experience as a full-time Police Training Commission certified officer and that a reasonable basis for waiving the written examination exists. Candidates who have had the requirement of a written examination waived, in addition to meeting the requirements of Subsections A and B, shall also be required to meet the requirements of Subsection C(2) and Subsections D through J.

(2) Candidates who have received a waiver of the written examination pursuant to this section and passed their physical agility examination shall be eligible to proceed to the oral interview phase of the appointment process upon satisfactory passing of the background examination notwithstanding that a list of 10 candidates may not have been established.

§ 5-61.2 Method of promotion for Lieutenants and Sergeants.

[Added 11-9-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-12]

A. Promotion eligibility.

(1) A uniformed police officer of this Police Department must serve at least five years with the department as a basic uniformed police officer with at least 50% of his or her time as a full time officer before becoming eligible for promotion to the rank of Sergeant.

[Amended 10-11-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-06]

(2) Supervisory personnel with a rank greater than patrol officer (Sergeants and Lieutenants) shall not be eligible for additional promotion until they have completed at least one year of service in that grade.

(3) Candidates for promotion must have completed their necessary year(s) of service as set forth in this section prior to the start of the promotional testing procedures.

(4) When the length-of-service standards of this section provide two or fewer candidates for a promotional examination, the Chief of Police may open the examination to members of the Police Department in the next lower rank who meet the criteria set forth in this section.

(5) Candidates who have completed their necessary year(s) of service with this Police Department as set forth in this section and who are desirous of competing in the promotional testing shall indicate in writing their intent to take part in the process and submit same to the Chief of Police.

(6) In accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-129, due consideration shall be given to the length and merit of service, and preference shall be given according to seniority of service within this Police Department during promotional testing procedures.

(7) A candidate for promotion must successfully pass all sections of the promotional testing procedures prior to being eligible for promotion.

(8) The Chief of Police may designate a patrol officer to act in the capacity of a Sergeant or designate a Sergeant to act in the capacity of Lieutenant until such time as there is an officer who has met the length of service in rank as set forth in § 5-61.2A(1) and (2).

(9) All promotions in the Police Department shall be made on the basis of general qualifications, service record and examination to determine police knowledge, skills, abilities and methods.

(10) The Chief of Police recognizes, maintains and asserts the right to recommend for promotion within the top three ranked individuals after completion of the entire testing process, based on previous evaluations, job performance, leadership qualities, disciplinary history and attendance record. The list of eligible candidates for promotion will be adjusted after each selection by the Chief of Police to maintain a ranking of first through last based on the overall scores of the remaining candidates for promotion.

(11) The Chief of Police is not bound to make recommendations based solely on the numerical rankings of the officers who have successfully completed the process.

(12) The list of eligible officer(s) for consideration for promotion will begin with the officer who finished number one in the process.

(13) A list of those candidates who successfully pass all phases of the promotional process shall be maintained for a period of two years from the date of the completion of the written test.

(14) If a position in the Police Department becomes vacant within two years from the date of completion of the written test, the Chief of Police shall make his recommendation from those remaining and available officers.

B. Promotional criteria.

(1) The promotional criteria for the ranks of Sergeant and Lieutenant shall include but not be limited to the following:

(a) Eligibility for promotion.

(b) Seniority.

(c) Educational background.

(d) Written examination.

(e) Oral interview(s) as referenced in § 5-61.2C(2)(a) through (l).

(f) Psychological and/or psychiatric examination certifying the candidate's fitness for the duty.

(2) Each candidate for promotion shall be required to meet all the eligibility requirements and successfully pass the written examination, oral interview and psychological and/or psychiatric examination prior to being placed within the promotion list or actually being promoted.

(3) Review and appeal by employees of adverse decisions for eligibility, review of written exams and any facets of promotional procedure will follow the grievance adjustment procedure as outlined in the agreement between Springfield Township and the current collective bargaining agreement.

(4) Each candidate shall be permitted a review of the testing key, provided it is authorized by the testing agency.

C. Examination for promotion for Lieutenant and Sergeant.

(1) Written examination (50% of total weighted score).

(a) A written examination for the ranks of Lieutenant and Sergeant will be conducted by a professional testing company, as determined by Township Council, which will be established as the Springfield Township Police Department's choice to conduct written examinations for promotion, which are job-related and nondiscriminatory.

(b) The professional testing company as determined by the Township Council will be responsible for scoring the written test.

(c) The maximum obtainable score for the written examination shall be 100%.

(d) The professional testing company as determined by the Township Council will provide study guides and a book list of sources for study purposes.

(e) Each candidate will be allowed a minimum of six weeks from the date of the promotional announcement to the date when the written test is given.

(f) All eligible candidates for the ranks of Lieutenant and Sergeant who achieve a score of 70% or higher on the written examination will be eligible to advance in the selection process as detailed below.

(g) Candidates who receive written test scores of 70% or above and who want to proceed in the selection process shall submit, in memorandum form, a memorandum detailing their respective experiences with the Springfield Township Police Department. This memorandum should reflect the assignments held by each individual within the Department and a description of any program or programs that the individual participated in or initiated. Additionally, such things as productivity, attendance, experience, education, training and departmental awards should be mentioned in this writing. This memorandum shall be submitted to the Chief of Police at least two weeks prior to the date of the oral Interview. These memoranda will be reviewed for accuracy by the Chief of Police or his/her designee and will be forwarded to the oral Interview panel for its review and use during the oral interviews.

(h) Candidates for the rank of Lieutenant and Sergeant who achieve a score of 70% or above on the written examination and advise the Chief of Police that they wish to proceed in the promotional process will be further evaluated in the following three areas: oral interview, seniority, and education. Each of these areas and their respective ranking and weights are defined as follows.

(2) Oral interview (50% of total weighted score).

(a) Candidates for the position of Lieutenant and Sergeant who achieve a score of 70% or higher on the written examination will be interviewed by a panel consisting of the Chief of Police and one active and/or retired member of the law enforcement community, selected by the Chief of Police, who possesses a minimum of 20 years of law enforcement experience and has obtained the rank of Captain or higher, whom the Chief of Police deems qualified to assist him/her with this selection process, and one member of the Township Council appointed by the Township Council. Candidates will be interviewed for a minimum of 45 minutes.

(b) The scheduling of these interviews will be announced when the actual number of individuals to be interviewed is determined after the written examination.

(c) The posting of the dates and times of the oral interviews shall contain a list of publications related to the issues of supervision, organization, and command that each candidate can utilize in preparing for his/her oral interview.

(d) Each candidate for promotion shall appear in his/her departmental Class 1 uniform for his/her scheduled oral interview.

(e) Subject matter for these interviews will include, but will not be limited to, general principles of supervision, command, leadership, organization, planning, budgeting, criminal law, state and federal court decisions, the United States Constitution and the New Jersey State Constitution, rules of evidence, court rules, Title 39, Title 40, and Title 2C of the statutes of the State of New Jersey and the Springfield Township Police Departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures, the Springfield Township Borough municipal ordinances and current policies, procedures and directives of the State of New Jersey Attorney General and the Burlington County Prosecutor.

(f) During the oral interview, candidates will be asked questions based the subject matter outlined in § 5-61.2C(2)(e) and graded on the response given.

(g) Each member of the oral interview panel will be provided with a copy of each candidate's memorandum as referenced in § 5-61.2C(1)(g) to be utilized as part of the oral interview process.

(h) The oral interview panel will also have access to the information contained in each candidate's personnel file, including but not limited to prior evaluations by supervisors, disciplinary action, commendations and awards, and any other information commonly available in the candidate's personnel file.

(i) Each candidate shall be interviewed by the oral interview panel under similar conditions in order to evaluate the merit and fitness of such candidate for promotion.

(j) Each member of the oral interview panel shall consider the following factors when scoring candidates during the oral interview process. Each factor shall be uniformly considered and applied to all candidates.

[1] Appearance, manner and bearing (10% of total score).

[2] Self expression (10% of total score).

[3] Judgment (20% of total score)

[4] Decisiveness (20% of total score).

[5] In-service and/or specialized training (20% of total score).

[6] Scope and level of experience, including merit commendations (20% of total score).

(k) Each member of the oral interview panel shall assign a score between one and 100 to each candidate. These three scores will then be combined and then averaged to obtain the candidate's overall score for the oral interview.

(l) Candidates for the position of Lieutenant and Sergeant must achieve a score of 70% or higher during their oral interview to be considered eligible for promotion and continue in the promotional process.

(3) Seniority and educational background. Additional points will be added to the candidate's overall score, independent of the possible top score of 100 in the written examination and oral interview as referenced in § 5-61.2C(1) and (2), based on the candidate's seniority and educational background, utilizing the following criteria:

(a) Seniority.

[1] Seniority for the rank of Sergeant is defined as time with the Springfield Township Police Department at the rank of patrolman. Candidates with equal time at the rank of patrolman will receive equal rankings.

[2] Seniority for the rank of Lieutenant is defined as time with the Springfield Township Police Department at the rank of Sergeant. Candidates with equal time at the rank of Sergeant will receive equal rankings.

[3] Seniority points will be given for fully completed years of service on the Springfield Township Police Department as of the announced closing date for eligibility to take the written test as follows:

	Completed Year of Service	Seniority Points
	5	0.25
	6	0.50
	7	0.75
	8	1.00
	9	1.25
	10	1.50
	11	1.75
	12	2.00
	13	2.25
	14	2.50
	15	2.75
	16	3.00
	17	3.25
	18	3.50
	19	3.75
	20	4.00
	21	4.25
	22	4.50
	23	4.75
	24	5.00
	25	5.25
	26	5.50
	27	5.75
	28	6.00
	29	6.25
	30	6.50

[4] Candidates for promotion who have 31 or more years of completed service will receive 0.25 seniority point for each additional fully completed year of service.

(b) Education.

[1] Candidates shall be ranked against competing candidates based upon the level of education attained. Candidates will receive the following ranking for their respective levels of education:

[a] High school diplomas or GED equivalent: one.

[b] Associates degree(s) or in excess of 63 college credits accumulated towards a bachelor's degree: two.

[c] Bachelor's degree: three.

[d] Master's degree(s): four.

[e] Ph.D. or J.D. degree(s): five.

[2] The ranking for any category shall not exceed the number at the end of each category. By way of example, if a candidate has two associates degrees, his ranking will be two and not four.

[3] For degrees or college credits accumulated towards a bachelor's degree, said degree or college credits must be received from a college whose accreditation meets the standards set for college accreditation by the State of New Jersey.

[4] Candidates who intend to assert their level of education attained as part of this promotional process shall be required to have an original copy of their college transcripts forwarded to the Chief of Police from their respective college or university. The early submission of this information will allow for the resolution of any conflicts prior to the start of the selection process and will avoid any delay in the final tabulation of overall scores.

(4) Scoring.

(a) Those individuals who have successfully passed both the written examination and oral interview shall have their scores from both examinations combined. Additional points for seniority and educational background will then be added to establish each candidate's combined score to produce an overall score for the promotional process. Candidates shall be ranked with the person achieving the highest overall score ranked number one. The list of eligible officer(s) for consideration for promotion will begin with the officer who finished number one in the process.

(b) The Chief of Police shall certify the composite score of each candidate and shall post the same in a conspicuous place in police headquarters, indicating the order of finish of the candidates; such list shall be posted within 30 days after the completion of all tests and interviews.

(c) Any candidate, upon written request to the Chief of Police within five working days of the posting of such results, shall be entitled to a review of his/her test scores and ranking with the Chief of Police or his/her designee.

(d) For each promotion, the Chief of Police shall consider the first three names of candidates standing highest on the list of eligible candidates. The Chief of Police shall select one of the three eligible candidates. In the event that the candidates have the same score, preference shall be given to Borough of Springfield Township residents, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-122.6.

D. Procedure for promotion to the rank of Chief of Police.

(1) Eligibility requirements. All candidates for promotion to the rank of Chief must meet the following eligibility requirements:

(a) A member of this Police Department must serve at least five years with this Police Department before becoming eligible for promotion to the rank of Chief.

(b) Supervisory personnel with a rank greater than patrol officer (Sergeants and Lieutenants) shall not be eligible for additional promotion until they have completed at least one year of service in that grade. Candidates may participate in the selection process but shall not be promoted until they have completed one year of service in the present rank.

(c) When the length-of-service standards established in this section provide two or fewer candidates for the promotional selection process to the rank of Chief, the Township Manager may open the selection process to members of the Police Department in the next lower rank who meet the criteria set forth in this section.

(2) Promotional selection process.

(a) Personnel eligible for promotion to the rank of Chief who wish to participate in the promotional selection process shall provide written notification to the Manager of their intention to compete for the vacant position. This notice of intent shall be completed on a Springfield Township Police Department official report form and shall be submitted to the Manager no later than 10 days from the date of the promotional procedure announcement.

(b) All eligible candidates for promotion to the rank of Chief shall also be required to submit, in memorandum form, a memorandum detailing their respective experiences with the Springfield Township Police Department. This memorandum should reflect the assignments held by each individual within the Department and a description of any program or programs that the individual participated in or initiated. Additionally, such things as productivity, attendance, experience, education, training and departmental awards should be mentioned in this writing. This memorandum shall be submitted to the Manager no later than four weeks from the date of the promotional procedure announcement.

(c) Candidates will be evaluated by the Manager and a reviewing committee appointed by the Manager. The Manager and reviewing committee shall consider the length of service and the merit and fitness of all eligible candidates for possible promotion to the rank of Chief as required and in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118 et seq. After completion of the examination process, the Manager shall recommend the candidate of his/her choice to be promoted to the rank of Chief by the Township Council.

(3) Examination for promotion to Chief of Police.

(a) The Township Manager shall appoint the reviewing committee, which shall consist of at least three members, including one former or current Chief of Police.

(b) The testing procedure for the Chief of Police shall consist of a written exam and an oral exam in which all candidates will be given the same questions and a review of the candidate's service record, education, merit and seniority.

[1] Written examination. The written examination shall be supplied and administered by a professional testing company, professional law enforcement organization or such other written examination approved by the Township Manager. To proceed to the oral portion of the examination procedure, a candidate must achieve a minimum score of 70%.

[2] Oral interview.

[a] Candidates shall be notified in writing of their successful or unsuccessful completion of the written portion of the exam by the Township Manager.

[b] Candidates that have achieved a score of 70% on the written exam shall be permitted to sit for an oral interview by the reviewing committee. The oral interview shall take place after the receipt of the written examination scores.

[3] Interview with Township Council.

[a] Candidates must score at least 70 out of 100 in the oral interview in order to proceed to the next step of the promotional process.

[b] An interview with the Township Council shall focus on leadership and management skills, knowledge of Springfield Township's form of government, knowledge of the Police Department Ordinance, familiarity with the municipal budget process and knowledge of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118.

[4] Record review.

[a] Candidates that successfully achieved 70% on the written exam and 70% on the oral exam shall proceed to the next step in the promotional process, the review of service record.

[b] The reviewing committee shall examine the length and merit of the candidate's service. The examination process shall give specific weight to performance evaluations, seniority, military service, demonstrated leadership ability, education and disciplinary history.

[c] The weight or percentage of each portion of the process shall be as follows:

	Type	Weight
	Written test	30%
	Oral exam	30%
	Interview with Township Council	30%
	Record review	10%

E. Promotion notifications.

(1) Whenever any promotional examination is to be conducted, the Manager shall notify the eligible members of this Police Department of the vacancy and the promotional examinations, criteria, evaluations and procedures to be employed in filling the vacancy.

(2) This notification shall be contained in a written announcement that shall either be posted in a prominent location within the Police Department available to all personnel and/or shall be issued to each eligible candidate personally.

(3) This written notification shall be issued at least six weeks prior to the date of the written examination.

(4) This written notification will include but not be limited to the job title opening, date, time and location of the exams, eligibility requirements and the process to be used. These notices will include the numerical weight(s) assigned to each part of the promotional procedure.

(5) Personnel eligible for promotion who wish to participate in the promotional process shall provide written notification to the Manager of their intention to compete for the vacant position. This notice of intent shall be completed on a Springfield Township Police Department official report form and shall be submitted to the Manager no later than 10 days from the date of the promotional procedure announcement.

(6) This preliminary notice of intent shall include the officer's hiring date as a police officer with Springfield Township and the level of education that he/she intends to assert during this selection process and should be submitted to the Manager no later than four weeks prior to the date of the written examination. The early submission of this information will allow the Chief of Police or his/her designee to verify the information contained in the individual's personnel file. The early submission of this information will allow for the resolution of any conflicts prior to the start of the selection process and will avoid any delay in the final tabulation of overall scores.

(7) Upon completion of promotional testing procedures, all eligible candidates for promotion shall be notified in writing of their score and of their ranking within those eligible for promotion to the vacant position.

F. Preference to residents. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-122.6, when a resident and a nonresident of Springfield Township have achieved the same final score in the promotional testing procedures, the resident of Springfield Township shall be ranked above the nonresident.

(1) If a tie still exists because two or more candidates are residents, the officer's written test score will be used as a tiebreaker.

(2) If a tie still exists after utilizing the officer's written test score, the officer's oral interview score will be used as a tiebreaker.

(3) If a tie still exists after utilizing the officer's written test and oral interview scores, the officer's date of hire in the Police Department will be used as a tiebreaker.

G. Psychological and/or psychiatric examination. All candidates for promotion must pass a psychological and/or psychiatric examination certifying the candidate's fitness for duty prior to being recommended for promotion by the Chief of Police.

H. Promotional appointments.

(1) The Chief of Police recognizes, maintains and asserts the right to recommend for promotion to the Council one of the top three ranked individuals for each vacancy after completion of the entire testing process, based on previous evaluations, job performance, leadership qualities, disciplinary history and attendance record. The list of eligible candidates for promotion will be adjusted after each selection by the Chief of Police to maintain a ranking of first through last based on the overall scores of the remaining candidates for promotion.

(2) The Chief of Police shall only recommend for promotion from the list of candidates who have successfully completed and passed all aspects of the promotional testing procedures.

(3) The Chief of Police is not bound to make recommendations based solely on the numerical rankings of the officers who have successfully completed the process.

(4) All recommendations for promotion will originate from the Chief of Police, who shall forward the names of the recommended candidate(s) to the Township Council for appointment.