A. 
No person appointed to a position in the Police Department pursuant to these rules and regulations may be suspended without pay or removed, and no person promoted in rank pursuant to these rules and regulations may be reduced in rank, except for the following reasons:
(1) 
Physical or mental disability affecting the officer’s ability to continue in service, in which case the officer shall receive an honorable discharge from the service;
(2) 
Neglect or violation of any official duties;
(3) 
Violation of any law of this commonwealth which provides that such violation constitutes a misdemeanor or a felony;
(4) 
Inefficiency, neglect, intemperance, disobedience of orders and conduct unbecoming an officer;
(5) 
Intoxication while on duty; or
(6) 
Engaging or participating and conducting of any political or election campaign other than the officer’s exercise of the right of suffrage.
B. 
No officer shall be removed from his position for religious, racial or political reasons. A statement of any charges made against any officer so employed shall be furnished to the officer within five days after those charges have been adopted by the appointing authority.
[Amended 8-13-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-04]
A. 
Whenever a police officer is suspended, removed or reduced in rank, the specific charges warranting such actions shall be stated in writing by the appointing authority. Charges shall be stated clearly and in sufficient detail to enable the officer to understand the charges and to allow the officer an opportunity to respond to those charges. The charges shall specify the cause set forth in § A211-36 which provides the basis for the disciplinary actions, as well as an explanation of the factual circumstances upon which the appointing authority relied in finding a violation of § A211-36.
B. 
A written statement of the charges shall be delivered to the officer either by personal service, by certified and registered mail or by email. In addition, the charges shall notify the officer of the right to appeal contained in § A211-38 of these rules and regulations. A copy of the statement of charges shall also be served upon the members of the Civil Service Commission.
A. 
An officer who has been suspended, removed or reduced in rank may appeal the decision of the appointing authority by written notice to the Secretary of the Commission at 2501 Bath Road, Bristol PA 19007, requesting a hearing. This request must be received by the Commission within 10 days after the officer received notice of discipline. The officer may make written answers to any of the charges filed no later than the date fixed for the hearing. Failure of the officer to provide written answers to any answers to any of the charges shall not be deemed an admission by the officer.
B. 
The Commission shall schedule a hearing within 10 days from the officer’s written request for a hearing unless continued by the Commission for cause at the request of the Commission, the appointing authority or the officer. At any such hearing, the officer against whom the charges have been made may be present and represented by counsel, may call witnesses and present testimony and documentation in defense. The Township may also be represented by counsel, call witnesses and present evidence as necessary to support the charges. A stenographic record of all testimony shall be taken at every hearing and preserved by the Commission. In the event the charges are dismissed, the record shall be sealed and not be available for public inspection.
C. 
In conducting the hearing, the Commission’s standard of review shall be to determine whether sufficient evidence has been presented to support the statutory reason for the disciplinary action. If the Commission finds that sufficient evidence has been introduced to support the charge(s), the Commission shall not modify the penalty imposed by the appointing authority unless it finds that the penalty imposed was arbitrary, discriminatory or an abuse of the appointing authority’s discretion. In considering the appropriateness of the discipline, the Commission shall not substitute its judgment for that of the appointing authority. The Commission may request post-hearing briefs; it shall issue a written decision containing specific findings of fact and conclusions of law within 60 days of receipt of the hearing transcript.
A. 
All testimony shall be given under oath administered by the Chairperson or, in the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chairperson. The Commission shall have power to issue subpoenas as set forth in § A211-9.2 above. The hearing shall be opened to the public unless, prior to the commencement of the hearing, a written or oral request to close the hearing is made by the charged officer or the Township.
B. 
If the Commission sustains the charges, the officer who is suspended, or removed or reduced in rank, may file an appeal with the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County within 30 days from the date of entry by the Commission of its final Order. No order of suspension shall be made by the Commission for a period longer than one year. In the event that the Commission fails to uphold the charges then the person sought to be suspended, removed or demoted shall be reinstated with full pay for the period of the suspension, removal or demotion, and no charges related to his suspension, removal or reduction in rank shall be officially recorded in the officer’s record.