[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Catasauqua
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 5-1-1978 by Ord. No. 764 (Ch. I, Secs. 65 to 70.1, of the
1962 Code)]
[Amended 7-6-1999 by Ord. No. 1100]
Borough Council shall select from a list of qualified applicants submitted
by the Mayor and Chief of Police.
[Amended 7-6-1999 by Ord. No. 1100]
The list of qualified applicants shall be prepared by the Mayor and
Chief of Police.
No part-time or extra police shall be subject to the civil service provisions
of the Borough Code, nor are they subject or covered by the terms of the police
contract for full-time officers.
Except for the provisions concerning dismissal, all part-time or extra
police shall be subject to the rules and regulations on police conduct of
the Borough.
Part-time or extra police officers once appointed by Council can be
removed at any time for any reason by a majority vote of Council.
After being selected as a part-time or extra police officer, each person
so selected shall be sworn in by the Mayor.
Part-time or extra police shall have all law enforcement powers of full-time
police.
[Adopted 1-8-1979 by Ord. No. 778 (Ch. I, Secs. 51 to 64.7, of the
1962 Code)]
The existing Police Department of Catasauqua is hereby recognized and
established as the Police Department of said Borough.
There is hereby established the following ranks for police in the Borough:
Chief of Police, Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant and Patrolman.
Borough Council may designate one of said policemen as Chief of Police. Borough Council may also appoint one or more qualified candidates as determined by the Civil Service Rules and Regulations (see Chapter 30 of this Code) to the ranks of Captain, Lieutenant and Sergeant. Said appointments by Council are permissive only and it is not required that all ranks be filled.
The Chief of Police shall be the head of the Department and have supervision
over all officers and members thereof. Following him in rank shall be the
captain, the lieutenant, the sergeants and patrolmen, in order of seniority
in rank of each group.
[Amended 7-6-1999 by Ord. No. 1100]
There is hereby established a position of detective within the Catasauqua
Police Department. The Mayor may appoint one or more police officers to this
position at the Mayor's sole discretion. The Mayor may remove and/or replace
any police officer appointed to this position at any time for any reason.
It is specifically understood that "detective" is a position and not a rank
protected under civil service provisions. The officers assigned to the position
of detective shall have primary responsibility to undertake the investigation
of complex crimes and to take over and complete the criminal investigation
after regular police officers have initially gone to the scene of a criminal
occurrence.
[Amended 7-6-1999 by Ord. No. 1100]
The Chief of Police shall be the keeper of the Borough lockup and shall
have custody of all persons incarcerated therein. He shall keep such records
and make such reports concerning the activities of his Department as may be
required by statute or by the Mayor. The Chief shall be responsible for the
performance by the Police Department of its functions and all persons who
are members of the Police Department shall serve subject to the orders of
the Chief of Police. The Chief shall have the power to appoint officers who
have positions of detective to duties other than those enumerated as their
primary function on a temporary basis.
The Borough Council may promulgate and must approve all rules and regulations for the conduct of police officers within the Department. Violators of these rules shall be subject to disciplinary procedures provided under the civil service provisions of the Borough Code (see Chapter 30 of this Code).
[Amended 7-6-1999 by Ord. No. 1100]
The Chief of Police and/or the Mayor may issue command orders which
shall be posted in the police headquarters. Any violations of these command
orders shall result in disciplinary action against the police officer in violation
of the same.
See Article I of this chapter.
Pursuant to the Borough Code, during an emergency, the Mayor may appoint
special police for the Borough of Catasauqua, said police to have full police
powers for the duration of their appointment.
[Amended 7-6-1999 by Ord. No. 1100]
Pursuant to the Borough Code, upon request of the Board of School Directors
of the school district in which the Borough is located, the Mayor may appoint
special school police who shall have the duty of controlling or directing
traffic at or near schools and who shall be in suitable and distinctive uniform
and shall display a badge or other sign of authority. Such police shall be
vested with all the power of local police officers related to traffic direction
while on duty and shall be under and subject to the direction of the Mayor.
They shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and shall not come within the
civil service provisions and shall not be entitled to participate in any police
pension plan or plans now in effect or hereinafter effective.
[Added 3-1-1982 by Ord. No. 835; amended 7-6-1999 by Ord. No. 1100]
There is hereby established a dog handler position within the Catasauqua
Police Department. The Mayor and Borough Council may appoint police officers
to this position if Council and the Mayor believe that an officer is qualified
and a need exists for the same. The Mayor and Council may remove any police
officer appointed to this position at any time for any reason. It is specifically
understood that dog handler is a position and not a rank protected under the
civil service provisions. The officer assigned to the position of dog handler
shall use a dog approved by the Mayor and Chief of Police and shall undertake
the necessary training to enable him to carry out his duties effectively with
the dog. The duties of the dog handler shall be as directed by the Mayor and
Chief of Police and shall be in accordance with the police regulations concerning
the same.
All persons duly serving as part-time police, special police and special
school police shall be subject to the same discipline, rules and regulations
as apply to the regular patrolmen, except as to uniform.
All police officers heretofore appointed and in the employ of the Borough
of Catasauqua who are residents in the Borough of Catasauqua or within a distance
not greater than 10 miles from the Borough of Catasauqua and any police officer
hereafter employed by the Borough of Catasauqua shall reside within the geographical
limits of the Borough of Catasauqua or within a distance not greater than
10 miles from the geographical limits of the Borough of Catasauqua.
A.Â
Any police officer hereafter employed by said Borough of Catasauqua and not living within its geographical limits or within a distance of 10 miles from the geographical limits of the Borough of Catasauqua shall be given 12 months following the close of his term of probationary service to meet the residence requirements as set forth in § 65-21 hereof.
B.Â
If said police officer shall not have complied with the
requirements of this article within the said period of 12 months, the Borough
Council may, in its discretion, either suspend such police officer until requirements
of residence are met or dismiss the said police officer immediately.
The Police Civil Service Commission of the Borough of Catasauqua is
hereby authorized by rule or regulation to require police officers to comply
with the residence requirements established by this article.
The requirements for police officers of the Borough of Catasauqua, as
set forth in this article, are in addition to any and all requirements set
forth by any Act of Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
