[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Morrisville by 8-12-1960; amended in its entirety 6-13-1967 by Ord. No. 592. Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Amended 11-9-1988 by Ord. No. 829]
A Police Department is hereby established in
and for Borough of Morrisville, to consist of a Chief of Police, one
Sergeant and so many Corporals and other policemen as Borough Council
shall from time to time appoint.
In any case in which the Borough has heretofore
appointed a Chief of Police, Sergeants or policemen or established
a Police Department by action of Council but not by or pursuant to
an ordinance regularly enacted, such action shall be deemed to have
been a valid exercise of the legislative power of the Borough for
all purposes the same as though an ordinance had been enacted and
all policemen, including the Chief of Police and Sergeants, appointed
thereunder shall occupy the same status and shall have the same rights
and privileges as in the case of policemen, Chief of Police and Sergeants
appointed under the authority of an ordinance.
A.
The Police Department hereby established shall have
all of the powers and shall assume all of the duties as set forth
with particularity in § 1121 of the Borough Code; i.e.,
the Act of February 1, 1966, P.L. 581, Article XI, as supplemented
and amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 46121
et seq.
B.
Powers of police officers. In addition to the powers
conferred upon municipal police officers by the Borough Code and all
other laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, police officers of
the Borough of Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, shall, upon
view, have the right of arrest without warrant upon probable cause
when there is ongoing conduct that imperils the personal security
of any person or endangers public or private property for the following
offenses:
[Amended 6-10-1997 by Ord. No. 886]
C.
Compliance with Rule of Criminal Procedure No. 71
required. When a person has been arrested without a warrant for summary
offense, police officers shall comply with the requirements of Pennsylvania
Rule of Criminal Procedure No. 71.
[Amended 6-10-1997 by Ord. No. 886]
[Added 6-15-2020 by Ord. No. 1029]
A.
The primary function of the Chief of Police is to control, plan and
direct the activities of the Police Department subject to the policies
adopted by Council and supervision by the Mayor pursuant to Pennsylvania
law.
B.
The duties of Chief of Police shall include the following:
(1)
Administrative duties. The Chief of Police shall:
(a)
Efficiently supervise the police force;
(b)
Establish an effective chain of command within the Department;
(c)
Ensure accountability of all Borough police officers;
(d)
Establish written goals and objectives for the Department on
an annual basis;
(e)
Develop managerial tools and operating foundations necessary
for achieving the stated goals and objectives of the Department;
(f)
Establish a monthly reporting system concerning Departmental
service outputs;
(g)
Establish and maintain an internal affairs records system consisting
of, at least, an internal affairs index system and a filing system
for all documents and records;
(h)
Evaluate the work performance of all Borough police officers
on at least an annual basis and to document the evaluations in writing,
which shall be maintained in each police officer's personnel
file;
(i)
Provide the Borough Manager, on a monthly basis, a statement
regarding the financial operations of the Police Department, including
a report of the overall revenues, expenses, year to date overtime
and hours expended by officers of the Department, status of equipment
and vehicles, and any other matter required to be reported by the
Borough Manager;
(j)
Submit any and all requests for expenditures of budgeted funds,
hiring of additional officers or employees or the purchase of vehicles
or equipment, and the scheduling of any overtime or additional shifts
which will result in costs that exceed the dollar amounts budgeted
for overtime or additional shifts in the Borough's annual budget
to the Borough Manager who shall be responsible to approve or deny
same with the approval of Council; the Chief shall not make such requests
directly to Council;
(k)
Maintain professional public relations with members of the public,
citizenry and media;
(l)
Coordinate the activities of the Morrisville Police Department
with the activities of the other offices and officials of the Borough;
(m)
Cooperate with other local, county, state and federal police
agencies;
(n)
Strictly comply with the procedures contained in the Borough's
Internal Affairs Policy, as adopted by Council;
(o)
Report to the Borough Council and the Mayor any complaint, written
or verbal, filed against any police officer that contains allegations
of a crime, workplace harassment or where the complaint contains allegations
which could, if proven to be true, result in the discharge, suspension
or demotion of a Borough police officer;
(p)
Attend Council meetings at the request of Council and give a
report of the Police Department as directed by Council;
(q)
Perform all other administrative duties set forth in the Morrisville
Borough Police Department Policy and Procedures Manual, so long as
such duties do not conflict with the provisions of this section;
(r)
Ensure that s/he and all Borough police officers maintain current
certifications as required by the Municipal Police Officers Education
Training Commission.
(2)
Supervisory duties. The Chief of Police shall:
(a)
Be ready, willing and able to perform the official duties of
Borough police officers under the Chief's command as designated
by Council pursuant to state law;
(b)
Enforce the provisions of all ordinances, resolutions, motions,
rules and regulations heretofore or hereafter lawfully adopted by
the Council of the Borough of Morrisville relating to the operation
and maintenance of the Morrisville Police Department;
(c)
Notify all members of the Morrisville Police Department of the
provisions of all ordinances, resolutions, motions, rules and regulations
heretofore or hereafter lawfully adopted by the Council of the Borough
of Morrisville relating to the operation and maintenance of the Morrisville
Police Department;
(d)
Detail such orders to the members of the Morrisville Police
Department as may be necessary for them to execute the instructions
of the Mayor as they relate to the way their designated duties are
to be performed;
(e)
Inspect all members of the police force from time to time, supervise
their general conduct, observe their performance of duty, and report
the same to the Mayor and Council with such recommendations as s/he
may deem advisable;
(f)
Require subordinate officers to report on duty wearing the approved
uniform;
(g)
If available, report to the scene of any fatality, serious crime
of violence or disaster affecting the Borough of Morrisville and to
all serious fires, explosions, disasters, riots or other tumultuous
assemblages within the Borough, assume command of the police officers
there present, protect property, dispel all crowds if necessary and
cause the arrest of any person refusing to take orders, disturbing
the peace or inciting others to do so;
(h)
In the event Borough Council designates the Chief to serve as
the Borough's Emergency Management Coordinator ("EMC"), the Chief,
in that designated capacity, shall report directly to the Borough
Manager. Should the Chief be unable to execute the duties of EMC,
then any other person designated by Council to execute the duties
of this position shall report directly to the Borough Manager;
(i)
Carry out all duties imposed upon him/her by law;
(j)
To perform all other supervisory duties set forth in the Morrisville
Borough Police Department Policy and Procedures Manual and/or job
descriptions adopted by Council, so long as such duties do not conflict
with the provisions of this section.
