Borough of Shippensburg, PA Article III Qualification and Application for Positions in Police Department

§ 9-15 Eligibility for examination.

[Amended 2-4-2003 by Ord. No. 767, approved 2-4-2003; 2-6-2024 by Ord. No. 967, approved 2-6-2024]

A. In order to be eligible for participation in any examination for any position with the Police Department, every applicant must submit a completed application form to the Shippensburg Police Department before the deadline stated by the Commission for the specific examination. The applicant must make an oath or affirmation that the application is completed truthfully, and the applicant is subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities. Applicant shall include with the application a copy of the original or certified birth certificate, recent passport-style photograph (color or black and white) and copy of high school diploma or GED certificate, armed forces discharge certificate (DD214 or other acceptable documentation, in accordance with the Veterans Preference Act[1]), a resume of work history, relevant training and education, copy of a valid driver's license, current criminal history within in the last month prior for the last 10 years for each state that they lived in, current within in the last month driving history for the last 10 years for each state that they lived in, if applicable, and a copy of college transcripts, ACT 120 certification or waiver, if applicable, to assist in the performance of the background check on each applicant.

[1] Editor's Note: See 51 Pa.C.S.A. § 7101 et seq.

B. If using a consortium for the physical fitness testing and written examination, applicants will apply for testing through the consortium, which will be posted on the advertisement for the examination. The consortium will submit a list of all applicants with each applicant's name, address, email, a pass/fail for the physical fitness testing, and written examination score. Applications will be sent to all applicants who passed the physical fitness testing and written examination with a 70% or better. Applicants will have at least two weeks to submit an application with the required documentation.

§ 9-16 Discrimination.

The Borough is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Borough's and the Commission's policy to grant equal employment opportunities to qualified persons without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, veteran's status, marital status or non-job-related physical or mental handicap or disability. The Borough and the Commission will provide equal opportunities in employment and promotion.

§ 9-17 Availability.

[Amended 2-6-2024 by Ord. No. 967, approved 2-6-2024]

Application forms shall be available to all interested persons in the Shippensburg Police Department or electronically on the Shippensburg Police Department website or the office of the Borough Manager and from such other offices and officers that the Commission, from time to time, may choose to designate. Application forms may be mailed to applicants upon written or telephone request. However, the Commission assumes no responsibility for missed filing deadlines due to a delay in the mail. Applications will be sent to all applicants who passed the physical fitness testing and written examination with a 70% or better if using the consortium.

§ 9-18 Age and residency requirements.

[Amended 2-4-2003 by Ord. No. 767, approved 2-4-2003; 3-4-2008 by Ord. No. 828, approved 3-4-2008; 2-6-2024 by Ord. No. 967, approved 2-6-2024]

All applicants must have reached their 20th birthday before the deadline for submitting completed applications. Applicants must establish a residence within 30 miles of the Borough of Shippensburg, as shown on the Residency Requirement Map, which is available upon request at the Borough office, within six months of completing the probationary period for police officers.

§ 9-19 General qualifications: all applicants.

[Amended 2-21-2006 by Ord. No. 801, approved 2-21-2006; 3-4-2008 by Ord. No. 828, approved 3-4-2008; 5-23-2019 by Ord. No. 931, approved 5-23-2019; 1-3-2022 by Ord. No. 957, approved 1-3-2022; 2-6-2024 by Ord. No. 967, approved 2-6-2024]

A. Every applicant for any police officer position in the Police Department shall possess a diploma from an accredited high school or a graduate equivalency diploma. In addition, every applicant must be a United States citizen, be physically and mentally fit to perform the full duties of a police officer and, prior to appointment, possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

B. The Borough and the Civil Service Commission shall specify in the public notice required under these regulations whether the examination process to establish an eligibility list includes solely the position of police officer or is also open to applicants for the position of police officer cadet.

C. The Borough and the Civil Service Commission, when deciding whether to include applicants for police officer cadets in the examination process, shall consider the personnel and operational needs of the Department.

§ 9-20 General qualifications for applicants for promotion.

A. In addition to meeting the qualifications in § 9-19 above, all applicants for a promotional position, except Chief, shall not have been suspended without pay for more than five days at any time in the three years prior to the deadline for submitting applications. Any suspension to which the applicant has timely appealed pursuant to a grievance procedure or these rules and regulations shall be disregarded unless the appeal is resolved prior to the creation of the eligibility list.

B. All applicants shall have continuous prior service with the Police Department of Shippensburg Borough as follows:

[Amended 2-6-2024 by Ord. No. 967, approved 2-6-2024]

(1) An applicant for the position of Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, or Captain shall have at least two years of service with the Department.

§ 9-21 Rejection of applicant.

[Amended 2-6-2024 by Ord. No. 967, approved 2-6-2024]

The Commission may refuse to examine, or, if examined, may refuse to certify as eligible after examination, any applicant who is found to lack any of the minimum qualifications for examination prescribed in these rules and regulations adopted for the particular position for which the applicant has applied. In addition, the Commission may refuse to examine, or, if examined, may refuse to certify, any applicant who is physically unfit to perform the full duties of the position applied for, is illegally using a controlled substance, as defined in Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 802), who had been guilty of any crime involving moral turpitude, or of infamous or notoriously disgraceful conduct, or who has been dismissed from public service for delinquency or misconduct in office, or who is affiliated with any group whose policies or activities are subversive to the forms of government set forth in the constitutions and laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

§ 9-22 Recording and filing applications.

[Amended 2-6-2024 by Ord. No. 967, approved 2-6-2024]

Applications for positions in the Police Department shall be received at the Borough building only after an examination has been properly advertised and before the deadline for receiving applications, which must be set forth in the public advertisement. If using the consortium, applications shall be received at a Borough building after receiving the application and before the deadline for receiving applications. Applications will be received by the municipal officer designated in the public advertisement or that officer's designee. That person shall record the receipt of all applications and provide each applicant with notice of the time and place for the first portion of the testing procedure, the physical fitness testing. Any application containing material errors or omissions or missing required documents shall be returned to the applicant for correction prior to the deadline for filing applications, after which no new applications or amended applications will be accepted.

§ 9-23 Hearing for disqualified applicants.

Any applicants or other persons who believe that they are aggrieved by the actions of the Commission, in refusing to examine or to certify them as eligible after examination, may request a hearing before the Commission. Within 10 days after such request, the Commission shall designate a time and place for the hearing, which shall be conducted pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Local Agency Law, 2 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq. The applicant or aggrieved party must make their request for a hearing in writing within 10 calendar days of the date when the party knew or should have known of the Commission's action which is being challenged.

§ 9-24 Public notice.

The Commission shall conspicuously post in the Borough building an announcement of the hiring or promotional testing and set forth in the time and place of every examination, together with the information as to the type of position to be filled, the requirements for that position, where applications may be obtained and the deadline for filing those applications. In addition, at least two weeks prior to the close of the application period, publication of the notice shall occur in at least one newspaper of general circulation or a newspaper circulating generally in the Borough.