[Amended 3-4-2008 by Ord. No. 828, approved 3-4-2008; 5-23-2019 by Ord. No. 931, approved 5-23-2019]
A. 
At the completion of the examination requirements set forth in Article IV, written examination, oral examination, background investigation and physical fitness test, the Commission shall rank all passing applicants for police officer on a list, with the applicant receiving the highest score at the top of the list and the applicant receiving the lowest passing score at the bottom of the list. Applicants who qualify for veterans points shall have those points added to their passing score prior to being ranked on the eligibility list.
B. 
For promotional positions, fulfilling the performance requirement set forth in § 9-20 is also required. In the case of tied scores, the tie will be broken by giving preference to the applicant who submitted a final completed application first. If both tied applicants submitted their complete applications on the same day, then the applicants shall be ranked in alphabetical order by surname.
C. 
The eligibility list shall be valid for one year from the date the Commission ranks all passing applicants, assigns veterans' preference points and formally adopts the eligibility list. The Commission may, at its sole discretion, by a vote of the majority of the Commission at a duly authorized Commission meeting, extend the list for an additional year. The Commission may, at its sole discretion, void an eligibility list at any time for any reason.
A. 
The appointing authority of the Borough may fill any vacancy in an existing position in the Police Department which occurs as a result of expansion of the police force, retirement, resignation, disability or death by the reappointment or reinstatement of a former employee of the Police Department who had been furloughed. Except for physical and psychological examinations, no other testing shall be required for a furloughed employee or a rehired or reappointed employee.
B. 
If no furlough list exists or if positions remain to be filled after all of the officers on the furlough list were offered reemployment, every position, except that of Chief of Police, shall be filled only in the following manner:
(1) 
The appointing authority of the Borough shall notify the Commission of any vacancy which is to be filled and shall request the certification of three names from the list of eligibles.
(2) 
If three names are not available, then the Commission shall certify the name(s) remaining on the list.
(3) 
The Borough Council shall make an appointment from one of the three names certified, with reference to the merits and fitness of the candidates. However, for initial appointment to the position of police officer, when one of the three applicants on the certified list is a veteran, that applicant shall be selected.
(4) 
The Borough Council may, at its sole discretion, appoint any applicant who has passed the required examinations for appointment although the applicant's name does not appear on the certified list of three when the applicant qualifies for veterans' preference.
C. 
The Borough Council may object to one or more of the persons certified for the reasons set forth in § 9-21 of these rules and regulations. If the candidate to whom the Borough Council objects fails to timely exercise the rights of appeal under § 9-23 or if the Commission declines to uphold the appeal, the Commission shall strike the name of that candidate from the eligibility list and certify the next highest name for inclusion on the list of three candidates for each name stricken off.
In the case of a vacancy in the office of Chief of Police, the appointing authority has full discretion in selecting the individual to fill the position of Chief of Police. If the appointing authority requests the Commission to subject that person to a noncompetitive examination, and if that person successfully passes the noncompetitive examination, then the Commission shall notify the appointing authority of the results of the examination and that person may only be removed from the position of Chief of Police for the reasons set forth in § 9-39.
[Amended 2-4-2003 by Ord. No. 767, approved 2-4-2003; 3-4-2008 by Ord. No. 828, approved 3-4-2008]
After the appointing authority selects a candidate from the certified list of three for appointment to the vacant position, that candidate shall submit to a psychological and physical examination by the appropriate medical experts. If the candidate successfully passes the physical and psychological examinations, then that applicant shall be appointed to the vacant position in the Police Department for which the application was submitted. The appointment shall be contingent upon successfully passing both the medical and psychological examinations. Failure to pass either examination shall result in the candidate being rejected from consideration. The rejected candidate may appeal this decision under § 9-23. The Commission shall then certify another name to be included with the two previously certified names for consideration by the appointing authority pursuant to § 9-34. The physical examination shall include a vision and hearing test as described below:
A. 
The applicant shall pass a hearing test, including an audiometer test.
B. 
The applicant shall pass a vision test with the following requirements:
(1) 
In the dominant eye without correction: 20/70 or better.
(2) 
In the weak eye without correction: 20/200 or better.
(3) 
In the dominant eye with corrective lenses, if necessary: 20/20 or better.
(4) 
In the weak eye with corrective lenses, if necessary: 20/24 or better.
(5) 
Normal color vision, depth perception and field of vision.
C. 
The applicant shall also be subject to physical examination to certify that the applicant is free from addictive or excessive use of either alcohol or drugs, which shall be determined using current laboratory test procedures. The applicant shall also be subject to physical examination to certify that the applicant is free from the use of illegal controlled substances, which shall be determined using current laboratory testing procedures. Failure to obtain certification that the applicant is free from addictive or excessive use of either alcohol or drugs and illegal controlled substances shall result in the applicant being rejected from consideration.
D. 
The physical examination may include, but not be limited to, physical examination by a licensed physician who shall examine the applicant to determine whether the applicant meets the physical examination elements set forth in the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission’s Rules and Regulations for Officer Certification.
E. 
The psychological examination may include, but not be limited to, psychological examination elements set forth in the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission's Rules and Regulations for Officer Certification.
[Amended 3-4-2008 by Ord. No. 828, approved 3-4-2008; 5-23-2019 by Ord. No. 931, approved 5-23-2019]
Every successful applicant to the position of patrol officer or to a promotional position with the Police Department shall serve a twelve-month probationary period. For newly hired police officers the probationary period shall commence on the date of hire. Also, during the probationary period a newly hired officer may be dismissed for cause, which includes but is not limited to the reasons set forth in § 9-21. During the probationary period, a written evaluation report will be provided quarterly to each and every probationary officer. However, at the end of the twelve-month probationary period, if the conduct of the probationer has not been satisfactory to the Borough Council, the probationer shall be notified in writing that the appointment will not be permanent. At that time, a newly hired officer's employment shall end, or a promoted officer shall return to a previous rank. Any officer who is not informed in writing that their performance has been unsatisfactory shall receive a permanent appointment to the new position. Any probationer who is notified in writing that appointment will not be made permanent has no rights of appeal under these rules and regulations.
Whenever there are urgent reasons for the filling of a vacancy in any position in the Police Department and there are no names on the eligible list for such appointment, the Borough Council may nominate a person to the Commission for noncompetitive examination, and such nominee may be certified by the Commission as qualified after such noncompetitive examination, and may be appointed provisionally to fill such vacancy. It shall thereupon become the duty of the Commission within three weeks to hold a competitive examination and certify a list of eligibles and then a regular appointment shall then be made from the name or names submitted by the Commission, provided that nothing within this section shall prevent the appointment, without examination, of persons temporarily as police officers in cases of riot or other emergency.