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City of Lancaster, PA
Lancaster County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Adopted as Article 147 of the Codified Ordinances]
[Amended 10-13-1998 by Ord. No. 9-1998]
A. 
The Bureau of Police shall be composed of such divisions as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Chief of Police and the Mayor which divisions may include the following:
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
(1) 
Patrol.
(2) 
Investigative.
(3) 
Administrative Services.
B. 
The number of sworn members of the Bureau of Police, including the Chief of Police, shall be determined from time to time by the Chief of Police and the Mayor.
[Amended 12-22-1998 by Ord. No. 15-1998; 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
C. 
The various ranks and grades and the numbers thereof shall be as follows:
[Amended 12-22-1998 by Ord. No. 15-1998; 6-11-2002 by Ord. No. 7-2002; 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004; 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010
(1) 
Chief of Police: one.
(2) 
Such other ranks and numbers as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Chief of Police and the Mayor which may include Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Detectives, patrol officers and others.
D. 
All personnel currently assigned to the Investigative Division as Sergeants, Detectives Second Grade or Youth Officers shall remain in those positions unless promoted or transferred for operational reasons by the Chief of Police, or transferred by their own request with approval of the Chief of Police or through attrition, by their own retirement, etc. However, this shall in no way prohibit their reduction in rank or grade if done for disciplinary reasons.
A. 
The direction, supervision and control of the Bureau of Police shall be vested in a Chief of Police who shall be one trained and experienced in police work. He shall act under the direction of the Mayor. He shall not be regarded as a member of the police force within the provisions of this article and other ordinances which apply to the Bureau, unless specifically included. He shall be deemed to exercise authority over the execution of grave public duties and shall, therefore, hold office at the pleasure of the Mayor.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
B. 
The Chief shall be selected and appointed by the Mayor, by and with the consent of the Council.
C. 
The title "Chief of Police," wherever used in this article, shall be deemed to mean either Chief of Police or Commissioner of Police.
The ranks of Captain, Lieutenant and Sergeant shall constitute the superior officers of the Bureau of Police.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
A. 
Recruits for the Bureau of Police, excluding police officers temporarily appointed as provided by law, shall be selected from lists provided by the Civil Service Board and shall be appointed by the Mayor.
B. 
Sworn members of the Bureau shall perform such duties and comply with such regulations as may be prescribed by the Mayor, the Chief of Police and their respective superior officers.
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004; 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
All appointments and promotions within the Bureau of Police shall be recommended by the Chief of Police for approval by the Mayor, shall be reported to the Council and shall be governed by the following procedures:
A. 
Recommendation for appointment to the rank of Captain shall be made by the Chief following consultation with Police Bureau Captains.
B. 
Selection for nomination for promotion to the ranks of Lieutenant and Sergeant shall be made from eligibility lists, established by the Civil Service Board, for the Bureau. Subject to § 67-7, ranking on the eligibility lists shall be determined as follows:
(1) 
Written examination: 42.5%.
(2) 
Staff evaluation: 57.5%.
(a) 
The Board shall govern the composition of the written examination and the general tenor of the staff evaluation.
(b) 
Both the examination and the evaluation shall be given under the general supervision of the Board which shall prescribe, with advice from the Chief, the procedures and regulations for their administration.
(3) 
Seniority: five points maximum. One-half point shall be granted for each full year of service after completion of the first five.
C. 
Selection for promotion to the ranks of Lieutenant and Sergeant shall be made from nominee lists based on the eligibility lists, and the establishment of such lists shall be governed by the following:
(1) 
The number of nominees shall exceed by two the number of vacancies.
(2) 
The nominee to be recommended shall undergo a psychological evaluation and a physical examination on a pass/fail basis, which the nominee shall have passed prior to being recommended for the position.
D. 
Selection for assignment to the Investigative Division as a Detective shall be made on the recommendation of the Captain of the Investigative Division. Salary for this position shall be exactly halfway between top patrolman base pay and a Sergeant's base pay.
(1) 
Persons assigned to the Investigative Division as a detective shall serve in this capacity at the pleasure of the Chief of Police and may be reassigned to the rank of patrolman without cause. Detective position is an assignment and not a rank.
(2) 
Nothing herein shall preclude the temporary assignment of patrolmen to the Investigative Division for training at a patrolman's salary.
A. 
Captain. A Lieutenant, who holds civil service status for the rank, regardless of assignment, shall be eligible for promotion to Captain.
B. 
Lieutenant. A Sergeant, who holds Civil Service status for the rank, regardless of assignment, shall serve not less than two years in rank before he is eligible to participate in the process for promotion to Lieutenant as provided in § 67-5C.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
C. 
Sergeant. A patrol officer shall serve not less than four years in grade before he is eligible to participate in the process for promotion to Sergeant, as provided in § 67-5C.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
D. 
Detective. A patrol officer shall serve not less than four years in grade before he is eligible for assignment to the Investigative Division with the grade of detective.
Performance evaluation of members of the Bureau of Police shall be administered by the Bureau, shall consist of a method approved by the Civil Service Board and shall be governed by the following:
A. 
The Chief of Police shall be evaluated by the Mayor.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
B. 
Each member of the Bureau shall be evaluated by his immediate superiors, i.e., those by whom he is regularly supervised.
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004]
C. 
Each member of the Bureau, excluding the Chief and probationary patrol officers, shall be evaluated at least once every year. No candidate shall be eligible for promotion, to take a required promotional examination/evaluation under § 67-5B or to be included upon any eligibility list if such candidate received a mark of unsatisfactory in any category on such candidate's most recent performance evaluation.
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004; 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
D. 
Probationary patrol officers shall be evaluated six and 12 months following induction.
E. 
All evaluations shall be reviewed by the immediate superior of the evaluator and by the Chief and may be reviewed also by the Mayor.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
F. 
Each member of the Bureau shall be entitled to see his evaluation chart and to review it with his evaluator.
A. 
Each member of the Bureau of Police eligible for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant or Sergeant shall attain a minimum passing score in the written examination. The passing score for the written examination shall be determined by the Civil Service Board in accordance with the most recently adopted version of the Rules and Regulations of the Civil Service Board for the Examination of Applicants to Positions in the Bureau of Police. Candidates obtaining a passing score shall undergo oral examination by the Staff Evaluation Board, which oral examination score shall be applied to § 67-5B.
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004; 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
B. 
The Board shall be composed of not fewer than three individuals designated by the Chief of Police and the Bureau Captains, at least one of which shall be a member of the Bureau of Police. A member of the Civil Service Board may be present during such evaluation.
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004]
C. 
Under no condition shall members of the Board know the written examination score of any candidate prior to conducting his staff evaluation.
A. 
Should the Chief of Police and the Mayor elect to fill a vacancy within the ranks and grades other than Chief of Police and patrol officers, that vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of § 67-5 at the direction of the Chief of Police and/or the Mayor.
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004; 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
B. 
Lieutenant and Sergeant.
(1) 
Eligibility lists, which rank candidates for nomination for promotion to Lieutenant and Sergeant in accordance with the procedures of § 67-5C shall remain in effect for one year, unless extended by the Civil Service Board.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
(2) 
Nominee lists, which list candidates for promotion to Lieutenant and Sergeant, shall remain in effect until the corresponding vacancy(ies) is filled.
(3) 
Any vacancy within these ranks that occurs during the aforementioned year shall require the establishment of a nominee list. The filling of any vacancy in either rank after the aforementioned year shall require the establishment of a new eligibility list.
(4) 
If the Chief of Police and Mayor elect to fill the vacancy or to otherwise create a new Sergeant or Lieutenant position, one of the nominees from the appropriate list shall be approved for such promotion.
[Amended 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 11-2004; 1-26-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
A. 
Promotions of existing employees of Bureau of Police. All promotions within the Bureau of Police are subject to the provisions of this § 67-10A.
(1) 
All promotions within the Bureau of Police shall be made for a two-year probationary period.
(2) 
No less than one month prior to the end of the probationary period a recommendation shall be made, by the appropriate superior officer, for retention or demotion of the probationer.
B. 
New hires to the Bureau of Police. All new hires within the Bureau of Police are subject to the provisions of this § 67-10B.
[Amended 12-15-2020 by Ord. No. 16-2020]
(1) 
All new hires within the Bureau of Police shall be made subject to a probationary period which shall extend for two years subsequent to their graduation from the police academy and/or completion of training in accordance with the provisions of the Act of June 18, 1974 (P.L. 359, No. 120) as is and may be amended, or in the instance of a new hire who at the time of their hire has already graduated from the Police Academy or completed their training, two years from the date of their hire.
[Amended 12-15-2020 by Ord. No. 16-2020]
(2) 
No less than one month prior to the end of the probationary period, a recommendation shall be made, by the appropriate superior officer, for retention, demotion or dismissal of the probationer.
(3) 
At any time during the probationary period, the probationer may be dismissed for just cause. If at the close of the probationary term the conduct or capacity of the probationer has not been satisfactory to the appointing officer, the probationer shall be notified, in writing, that he will not receive permanent appointment, whereupon his employment as a police officer shall cease; otherwise, his retention subsequent to the expiration of his probationary period shall be equivalent to his permanent employment as a police officer.