[Adopted 2-1-1993 by Ord. No. 1420]
There is hereby created a Police Department for the Borough
of Dormont which shall consist of the Chief of Police, four Sergeants
and such number of patrolmen as the Borough Council shall deem appropriate
from time to time.
All terms herein used in the masculine shall be deemed to include
the feminine.
All members of the Police Department who shall have passed the
appropriate civil service examinations, have been appointed as police
officers by the Borough Council to the Police Department and have
successfully passed the mandatory training requirements as police
officers shall be designated as patrolmen. The Borough shall, in addition,
create the offices of Sergeant, of which there shall be four in number
and who shall consist of patrolmen who have successfully passed the
promotional requirements of the Civil Service Commission of the Borough
of Dormont. All officers presently members of the Police Department
of the Borough of Dormont shall be and shall retain the offices which
they presently hold until such time as by way of promotion or other
process of law their rank or status shall be changed.
The Chief of Police shall be the head of the Department and
have the supervision over all officers and members thereof. Following
him or her in rank shall be the Sergeants and then patrolmen, in order
of seniority in each group.
The Borough Council may, subject to the civil service provisions
of the Borough Code,[1] appoint, promote, remove, suspend or reduce in rank suitable
persons as Borough police officers.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 8 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.
A.
Chief of Police.
(1)
The Chief of Police shall be the keeper of the Borough jail and shall
have custody of all persons incarcerated therein. He or she shall
keep such records and make such reports concerning the activities
of his or her Department as may be required by statute or by the Borough
Council. 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.
(2)
In addition, the Chief of Police shall do and perform each of the
following:
(a)
Direct and supervise the subordinate officers in the performance
of their duties. In the absence of the Chief of Police which shall
be for a period of less than 10 days, the next highest ranking officer
with seniority shall direct and supervise subordinate officers in
the performance of their duties, except as outlined hereafter. The
Chief, in such an instance, shall delegate and direct the name of
the officer who shall be the shift supervisor, and he or she shall
further designate an officer in charge who shall, in the absence of
the Chief, be responsible for the performance of all police officers
in the Borough.
(b)
In the absence of a Sergeant, delegate and direct the name of
the officer who shall be the shift supervisor and shall perform all
of the duties and responsibilities of a Sergeant and shall be compensated
at a rate commensurate with the rate established for the position
of Sergeant in the collective bargaining agreement.
(c)
Prepare or caused to be prepared and kept all records and reports
necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the Police
Department.
(d)
Prepare rules and regulations governing the conduct of all police
officers in the performance of their duties, which shall be referred
to as the "Police General Orders," their relations with the general
public and their relations with other elected or appointed officials
of the Borough. Such rules and regulations shall be subject to review
by the Mayor and, upon the adoption by the Borough Council, shall
be the duly constituted rules and regulations of the Police Department.
(e)
Prepare and post duty schedules for all full-time police officers,
including the Chief of Police. Such duty schedule shall be so designed
and implemented to effect a productive and efficient deployment of
all full-time police officers and a provision of regular police coverage
of the Borough and to minimize the need to employ full-time police
officers on overtime status and to further minimize the emergency
scheduling of part-time police officers.
(f)
Engage in regular patrol duty of his or her own, it being the
intent of this section that the Chief of Police of Dormont Borough
shall be a working Chief due to the size of the Borough and the expected
size of the police force.
B.
Temporary or Acting Chief.
(1)
A temporary or Acting Chief of Police may be appointed by the Borough
Council under any of the following circumstances:
(a)
Should incapacity, illness or other involuntary cause render
the Chief of Police unable to fulfill his or her duties for a period
of time expected to be in excess of 10 working days.
(b)
Should the Chief of Police voluntarily absent himself or herself
from active duty for a period of time in excess of 10 days.
(2)
Such temporary or Acting Chief of Police shall be charged with the
duties of the Chief of Police and shall exercise the complete authority
of the Chief of Police under this article.
It shall be the duty of all members of the Police Department
to see to the enforcement of all of the ordinances of the Borough
and all statutes applicable therein and to preserve order and to prevent
infractions of the law and to arrest violators thereof.
With the approval of the Borough Council, the Chief of Police
may establish a traffic division or detective division or other special
division within the Police Department, assigning such policemen to
such division and designating such duties therefor as may be deemed
necessary.
It shall be the duty of every member of the Police Department
to conduct himself or herself in a proper and law abiding manner at
all times and to avoid the use of unnecessary force. Each member of
the Department shall obey the orders and directions of his or her
superior.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any Borough police officer to charge or
accept any fee or other compensation in addition to his or her salary
for any service performed pertaining to the duties of his or her office
as police officer, except as provided herein.
B.
With the approval of the Borough Council, members of the Police Department
may be allowed court pay for attendance at court proceedings and hearings.
C.
With the approval of the Borough Council, members of the Police Department
may receive payment for mileage for attendance at approved training
programs, court or hearing appearances or otherwise as specified by
the Borough Council.
D.
For meritorious service rendered by any member of the Police Department
in the due discharge of his or her duty, the Borough Council may permit
such member to retain for his or her own benefit, so far as he or
she may be permitted by law, any reward or present tendered him or
her therefor.
E.
Provisions relating to the payment of police, compensation and other
matters which are contained in that certain agreement by and between
the Borough of Dormont and the bargaining unit of the Department of
Police of the Borough of Dormont shall prevail in the determination
of these matters.
The Chief of Police may make or prescribe such rules and regulations
as he or she shall deem advisable, and such rules, when approved by
the Borough Council, shall be binding on such members. Such rules
and regulations may cover, besides the conduct of the members, uniforms
and equipment to be worn or carried, hours of service, vacation and
all other similar matters necessary or desirable for the better efficiency
of the Department. Such rules and regulations must be consistent with
the ordinances of the Borough and the laws of the State of Pennsylvania
and must be posted.
The Borough Council may appoint any suitable person as a special
police officer to serve for such term and on such conditions as may
be designated by the terms of such appointment. No such special policeman
shall be entitled to any compensation from the Borough unless such
compensation is ordered by the Council, nor shall such special police
officer be considered an employee of the Borough by reason of such
appointment. Appointments may be revoked at any time by the Council.
The Committee on Public Safety shall make recommendations to
the Borough Council to secure such vehicles as it deems necessary
for the proper functioning of said Department.
The Borough parking police officers may be appointed hereafter
by the Borough Council by resolution from time to time as the need
for them shall appear. Their powers, responsibilities and rights shall
be limited, however, to such compensation and benefits as are herein
provided for, and they shall be empowered only to enforce any parking
ordinances in effect from time to time within the Borough of Dormont,
including participation in any proceedings designed to result in a
fine or penalty for violators in accordance with ordinances of the
Borough adopted heretofore and which may be adopted hereafter.
All full-time police officers shall be appointed by the Borough
Council pursuant to the applicable civil service provisions of the
Borough Code or the Police Tenure Act,[1] as amended, in effect at the time of such appointment. No police officer serving on an hourly, daily or similar basis or who regularly works less than 40 hours per week shall be considered a full-time police officer. Rather, such officer shall be considered a part-time police officer subject to the provisions of § 48-16 hereafter.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 8 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq. and
53 P.S. § 811 et seq., respectively.
Subject only to the provisions set forth above, the duties of
the Mayor to oversee the police force as provided in the applicable
sections of the Borough Code shall not be deemed diminished.
