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 Commission or the Commission's delegate before the deadline stated by the Commission for that 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.
Hatfield Township is an equal opportunity employer. It is Hatfield Township'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. Hatfield Township and the Commission will provide equal opportunities in employment and promotion.
Application forms shall be available to all interested persons in the office of the Township Secretary, and from such other offices and officers that the Commission, from time to time, may choose to designate. Application forms may be mailed upon written or telephone request. However, the Commission assumes no responsibility for missed filing deadlines due to a delay in the mail.
[Amended 1-13-2021]
All applicants must have reached their 21st birthday before the deadline for submitting completed applications.
[Amended 1-13-2021]
Every applicant for any 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.
A. 
In addition to meeting the qualifications in § A288-3.5 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 Hatfield Township police department as follows:
[Amended 1-10-2013 by Res. No. 13-01; 12-6-2017 by Res. No. 17-03; 7-26-2023]
(1) 
An applicant for the position of Corporal must have at least three years' experience as an officer and shall be currently serving with Hatfield Township in that capacity at the time of testing.
(2) 
An applicant for the position of Sergeant must have at least three years' experience as a supervisor and shall be currently serving with Hatfield Township in that capacity at the time of testing.
(3) 
An applicant for the position of Lieutenant must have at least two years' experience as a Sergeant and shall be currently serving with Hatfield Township in that capacity at the time of testing.
(4) 
An applicant for the position of Captain must have at least two years' experience as a Lieutenant and shall be currently serving with Hatfield Township in that capacity at the time of testing.
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 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 or mentally unfit to perform the full duties of the position applied for, or who is a habitual substance abuser, who is 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.
Applications for positions in the police department shall be received by the Commission or the Commission's delegate only after an examination has been properly advertised and before the deadline for receiving applications which must be set forth in the public advertisement. 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 written testing. Any application containing material errors or omissions may, at the discretion of the Commission, 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.
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.
The Commission shall conspicuously post in the Hatfield Township Municipal Building an announcement of the hiring or promotional testing and set forth 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 Hatfield Township.