[Amended 12-29-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-12]
The examination for Police Officer will consist of a written and an oral examination and will be graded on a 100-point scale, with the written examination representing 70% of the final score and the oral examination representing 30% of the final score. In addition, each successful applicant will undergo a physical fitness test, a polygraph test and a background investigation. These tests and investigation will be graded on a pass/fail basis for every applicant. After an applicant has been extended an offer of employment, the appointment shall be contingent upon the applicant passing a physical and psychological examination.
[Repealed and replaced 11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-20]
The written examination for the positions of Sergeant, Detective, Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief of Police shall include a written and an oral examination which would be graded on a 100-point scale, with the written examination representing 70% of the final score and 30% being apportioned to the oral examination. After an applicant has been extended an offer for promotion, the final appointment to the promotional position shall be contingent upon the applicant passing a physical examination.
[Amended 8-21-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-06]
The Commission shall appoint a written administrator, an oral examination administrator, a polygraph examiner, a physical fitness examiner, a medical examiner and a psychological examiner to conduct the appropriate examination required by these rules and regulations. The Commission has the discretion to participate in a statewide or countywide examination (“Consortium”) program designed to test police officer applicants. If Consortium testing is utilized, the initial application for examination shall be prepared, received and processed by the agency conducting the Consortium testing. The agency shall also administer and grade the written examinations.
The written examination shall be graded on a 100-point scale, and an applicant must score 70% or higher and remains one of the top scorers, including ties, in order to continue in the application process. Applicants scoring less than 70% shall be rejected. Within 30 days after the administration of the written examination, all applicants shall be given written notice of their test results, and passing applicants shall be scheduled for an oral examination appointment.
Every applicant who scored 70% or higher and receives one of the top highest scores in the written examination shall be given an oral examination which will be graded on a 100-point scale with a score of 70% or higher necessary for passing. The oral examination shall involve questioning applicants on how they would handle situations relevant to police work. Within 30 days after the applicants’ oral examination, they shall be informed of the score in their oral examination and total overall score, and each passing applicant shall be informed of the date for physical fitness testing.
Pursuant to the Veterans Preference Act, any applicant for the position of police officer who qualifies as a "soldier" under this Act,[1] shall receive an additional 10 points on top of their total score if that applicant had received passing scores under §§ A211-21, A211-24 and A211-25.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 51 Pa.C.S.A. § 7101 et seq.
A. 
Every applicant for the position of police officer shall fill out a personal data questionnaire and undergo a polygraph examination. The Commission shall furnish each polygraph examiner with forms upon which the examiner shall state whether any of the applicant's responses to questions from the applicant's personal data questionnaire are deceptive. A report on each examination shall be submitted to the Commission within five days after the date of the examination.
B. 
The examiner shall ask questions based on the information contained in the personal data questionnaire. Before administering the test, the examiner shall ask each applicant whether there is any more information related to the personal data questionnaire which the applicant would like to provide. This shall be a post-test review, during which the examiner shall again ask the participant, if deception is indicated, whether there is any information that the applicant is withholding.
C. 
If the examiner shall deem any of the applicant's responses to be deceptive, the examiner must tell the applicant immediately and give the applicant an opportunity to explain, deny or admit the deception. If the applicant denies being deceptive or if the explanation is found unsatisfactory by the examiner, the applicant will be given the opportunity to retake the test with a second examiner. Notice of the opportunity to retest shall be given in writing to the applicant. The second examiner will not have access to the results of the first test prior to readministering the polygraph. If the second examiner finds no deception, the applicant will be considered to having passed the polygraph. If the second examiner also finds the applicant deceptive, the applicant will be considered as having failed the examination.
D. 
An applicant who has failed both tests may appeal to the Civil Service Commission for a third examination, and the decision to give the applicant an opportunity to take a third test rests solely within the discretion of the Commission. If the applicant is awarded an opportunity to take a third test and passes, then the applicant will be considered as having passed the polygraph test. If the applicant is found deceptive on a third test, the applicant will be rejected.
An applicant for the position of police officer must meet the following requirements:
A. 
Stretcher carry. Applicants will be paired off and required to carry a stretcher with the simulated patient weighing approximately 200 pounds over a distance of 100 feet. Those applicants failing on the first attempt will be allowed to retake the exercise with a person who has successfully completed the exercise.
B. 
Body drag. An applicant is required to move a simulated motor vehicle operator weighing approximately 200 pounds from behind the steering wheel of a motor vehicle and drag the simulated operator to a point 50 feet from the motor vehicle.
C. 
Quarter-mile run. An applicant is required to run a distance of one quarter mile on a premeasured course in less than 110 seconds.
D. 
Window climb. An applicant is required to climb to a six-foot high level without assistance onto a three-foot level platform on the other side of the window, and then to the ground. Applicants must then circle around a marker 20 feet beyond the window and return up the three-foot-high platform and out the window onto the ground below.
E. 
Thirty-second trigger pull.
(1) 
Within a thirty-second time limit per hand, an applicant is required to repeatedly pull 15 times for each hand the trigger of a double-action nonfunctional revolver with arms horizontally extended.
(2) 
These testing protocols are subject to change to assure compliance with the most current requirements set forth in the Municipal Police Officer's Examination and Training Commission Guidelines (MPOETC).
A. 
The Commission shall request the Chief of Police or the Chief's designee to conduct a background investigation on each applicant. The background investigation shall include interviews with the applicant's family, acquaintances, current and former employers, current and former neighbors, references and current and former teachers and school officials. In addition, the applicant's credit history and record of criminal conviction shall be investigated. The applicant may be interviewed directly when the information collected during the background investigation requires clarification or explanation.
B. 
After the background investigation is completed, the Chief or designee shall make a written recommendation to the Commission on whether the applicant is appropriate for consideration for employment as a police officer.
C. 
Appropriateness of the applicant shall be based on the criteria set forth in § A211-13 of these rules and regulations. This recommendation shall be in writing and if the recommendation is to disqualify, then a detailed written explanation of the reasons for disqualification must be included. The Commission shall make the final determination on whether the information collected during the background investigation warrants rejection of the candidate. Within 30 days after the Commission considers the recommendation of the Chief of Police or designee, each applicant will be informed of whether they have passed the background investigation.