HomeMy Public PortalAbout3187-1977 - The Voluntay Establishment & Implementation of a Merit System for Pollice DepartmentAmended
ORDINANCE NO. 3187-1977
AN ORDINANCE FOR THE VOLUNTARY ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A
MERIT SYSTEM FOR THE RICHMOND, INDIANA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHEREAS, It is the de6i&e ob the cuxrent administration ob the City
ob Richmond, Indiana, to estabtti.6h and imptement a men.it
system bon the Richmond, Indiana Potice Department;
WHEREAS, Said a.dministuWon has estab.tiahed a citizens committee to
study and deve.top guideti.ne6 bor this puApose;
WHEREAS, Said Committee has met on many occasions and has now cxeated
said guidetines and a dkabted metut .system bor the Richmond,
Indiana Police Depa4tment;
WHEREAS, The dutie6 ob the "Board ob Pubtic Wonk.6" and the duties ob
the "Board ob Pubtic Satiety" are now perbo,med by a boaxd
known a6 the "BooAd ob Pubtic Woxks and Satiety" (IC-18-2-1-4.2);
WHEREAS, Such Board ha-6 the cage, management, supeAvZsion and exclusive
cone o.t ob aft matters and propexty re&tZng to on connected
with the poti.ce borces and the power to make genenat and
speciat xute6 and regutations bon the government and di6ciptine
ob said bocce [IC-18-1-11-1);
WHEREAS, It i6 the expressed des.iAe ob the Police Foxce ob the City
ob Richmond, Indiana, that a pot ice mexit p.tan be adopted
under which such emptoyeea woutd have security ob emp.toyment
and would be h.iAed, promoted, demoted, transimed, disci.-
pti:ned, and accorded other benejit6 and advantage6 on the
bas.u, ob men.it and quatibications; and
WHEREAS, It .i6 the intent ob IC 18-1-1.5, the city home nude .taw, and
otheA re.tated .taws such a6 18-1-1.5-2(n), conceAning poweu
ob ccti.es to atdow cities to e6tabtizh and bund any programs,
and organize and carxy out their governmental duties;
WHEREAS, The Board ob Pubtic Work6 and Satiety is now by Reso.tution
encout Bing the Richmond Common Councit estabZZ6h a police
merit plan box the Pof-ice ob the City ob Richmond, Indiana,
hereabtex %e6med to a6 "MeA t System bar Richmond Poti.ce
Depaniment"
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND,
WAYNE COUNTY, 1NDIANA, as bottom :
ORDINANCE NO. 3181-1977 )Continued)
Thi-6 Ondi.nance ehaU be in bu.0 Sonce and esbect btom and a4teA
p"zage and appnovaP by the Mayan of the City o$ Richmond, Indiana,
this day o5 1977.
k cent
ATTEST: �pd,`
en
PRESENTED TO THE MAYOR ob the City o6 Richmond, Indiana, this a
day o S T1�1-� 1977.
-'�2� �-
en
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR ob the City of Richmond, Indiana, .thi-6 a ��
day o6 1977.
ayon
ATTEST:
C ay CZeU
MERIT SYSTEM FOR RICHMOND POLICE DEPARTMENT
1.
SECTION 1.
A. "City" means City of Richmond, Indiana.
B. "Commission" means the civil service merit commission created by this
plan.
C. "Board" means the Board of Public Works & Safety of the City.
D. "Police Officer" means a sworn officer, functioning in a full time capacity
with the police department and who is a member of a police pension fund.
E. "Nomination -election committee" means a committee of five (5) police officers
selected by the membership of the police department for the purpose of nominating
candidates to be elected by the membership of the police department to the com-
mission and conducting that election.
F. "Staff' means ranks above Captain and below Chief of Police to include the
ranks of Major or Deputy Chief.
G. "Transition period" means the time between enactment of thisplan and the
date when all ranks within the police department are filled by the commission.
H. "Written Competitive Examination" means that portion of the rating system as
relates to written tests as conducted by the merit commission.
I. "Past Performance" means that portion of the rating system taken from the
Police Department monthly activity report and monthly efficiency report by the
merit commission.
J. "Oral Interview" means that portion of the rating system wherein an officer
appears before the merit commission for the purpose of oral examination for
promotion.
K. "Seniority rights" means length of active service on this police department
by full anniversary years, plus that part of the year by full anniversary months.
L. "Anniversary Years" means full twelve (12) month periods beginning with the
officer's date of entry into police service with this department.
M. "Eligibility list" and "promotion list" are interchangeable and mean that
list prepared by the commission of officers qualified for promotion under rules
and procedures of the commission and this plan,
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SECTION 2.
A. A commission shall be elected in the City, pursuant to Section 3 of this
plan, to consist of seven (7) members as follows:
1. One (1) person who holds a license to practice medicine, dentistry, law,
or is a Certified Public Accountant, in the State of Indiana;
2. One (1) person who holds a degree from a nationally accredited institution
of higher learning and is actively engaged in teaching or administration at the
elementary, secondary, or college level;
3. One (1) person who holds a degree from a nationally accredited institution
of higher learning in the field of theology, or any recognized member of the clergy;
4. One (1) person who is qualified and experienced in the field of labor
relations;
5. One (1) person from the field of business or management;
6. Two (2) other persons of any endeavor.
B. The members of the commission must be legal residents of the county which
contains the City for a period of three (3) consecutive years immediately prior
to their election and are subject to the geographic residency requirement of the
police officers of the city. They shall be persons of good moral character, and
shall be twenty-one (21) years or older at the time of nomination.
C. A member of the commission may not be an active or past member of any police
agency-
D. No more than four (4) members of the commission may be affiliated with the
same political party. For purposes of this subsection, political affiliation should
be determined by declaration.
E. The members of the commission shall take an oath of office to conscientiously
and faithfully discharge their duties as ccmmiissioners. A Signed copy of the oath
shall be filed with the board and placed in custody with the City Clerk.
F. The commission shall submit a budget annually to the Chief of Police and the
Chief of Police shall include in his budget an amount sufficient to provide funds
for the necessary expenses of the commission. A person may not serve on the com-
cission if he receives any remuneration as salary from a public fund. A public
find is not to be construed to include monies received as remuneration, salary or
fees as apublic defender, educator, or physician, nor the per diem provided for
under this plan.
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1. Legal fees received as a public defender shall not be deemed from a
public fund providing the public defender is not considered a full time position
within the office of courts of the County.
G. A candidate for the commission may not have held an elected political position
or a compensated politically appointed position for three (3) years prior to
nomination.
H. The commission shall adopt, promulgate, and enforce rules and procedures
concerning the hiring of police officers. The chief of police with approval of
the board shall as necessary, submit to the commission in writing, the need for
appointments of sworn officers due to retirement, resignation, dismissal, or
other valid causes. The commission shall then by state law, commission rules
and procedures, fill the requested need.
SECTION 3.
A. The members of the commission shall be elected as follows:
1. The police officers of the city shall make the first three (3) elections,
no more than two (2) shall be of the same political affiliation. The police
officers shall make their selection within thirty (30) days of the inception of
the Plan.
B. The Common Council of the City shall make the next three (3) elections, in
such manner to provide that any political affiliation does not exceed three (3)
of the six (6) members now elected. The Common Council's selection shall be
made within thirty (30) days of the police officers' action.
C. The six (61 elected members shall appoint the seventh (7th) member, within
thirty (30) days of election by the City Council. This 7th member may be of any
political affiliation. In the event of an impasse in the selection of the seventh
member, the six members of the commission shall submit a list of three (3) names
within seven (7) days to the Common Council of the City which shall then elect the
seventh member from the submitted list within thirty (30) days.
SECTION 4.
A. At inception, the term of office shall be staggered as follows:
Police Department Common Council Committee
3 1-1 year 3 1-1 year 1 1-2 years
1-2 years 1-2 years
1-3 years 1-3 years
Thereafter the terms shall be three (3) years. The term of members elected by
the police officers and Common Council shall on expiration be alternated to allow
the police officers and the common council to make elections in the different
occupational areas as described in Section 2 (A). The order of election shall
remain the same.
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B. Exception shall be made when a commissioner's term expires during a hearing
for dismissal, discipline, or demotion. The commission member whose term expires
during this hearing shall relinquish all commission duties excepting the hearing.
The Term shall then expire on completing the hearing. The expired vacancy shall
be filled as required in this plan for the conducting of regular business.
SECTION S.
A vacancy on the commission by reason other than expiration of term shall be filled
within thirty (30) days by the same electing party to serve for the remainder of
the unexpired term.
SECTION 6.
The board may remove any member of the commission for malfeasance, nonfeasance,
change of residence that conflicts with Section 2 B of this chapter, or inability
to serve. Removal of a member of the commission by the board shall be subject to
the same rules and procedures which govern the removal of a police officer.
SECTION 7.
A. A nomination -election committee shall be selected to conduct the process of
selecting the police officers' appointments to the commission. Police officers
who wish to serve on the nomination -election committee shall file with the board
in writing their intent to become candidates for election to the nomination -
election committee. The board shall hold a meeting to conduct an election for
the nomination -election committee before the expiration date of the present mem-
bers' terms. The board shall give notice thirty (30) days prior to expiration of
term for filing of candidates. All police officers who file with the board shall
be candidates in the election. The board shall give notice fourteen (14) days be-
fore the election meeting which shall state the date, time, location, purpose of
the meeting, and the names of all the candidates. The notice shall be posted
in three (3) prominent locations in the central police station.
B. Only members of the board and police officers shall be present at the meeting
for the election of the nomination -election committee and only police officers shall
have the right to vote.
C. Police officers who are unable to attend the meeting may vote by written proxy,
naming the police officer to whom their proxy is given. To be valid, the proxy
must be notarized, placed in a sealed envelope and received by the president of the
board before the election. The proxy shall be opened publicly by the president or
acting president, who shall preside at the election meeting, after he has called
the meeting to order and before any vote is cast.
D. Voting for members of the committee shall be by secret ballot and the five (5)
police officers receiving the greatest number of votes shall constitute the nomin-
ation -election committee. In the event of a tie vote for the fifth member of the
nomination -election committee, the president shall call for another ballot to break
the tie. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes shall be designated
the president of the nomination -election committee. In the event two (2) or more
members tie for the greatest number of votes, the five (5) members of the nomina-
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tion-election carnnittee shall select their own president.
1. Any police officer on being appointed chief of police or staff member
is terminated from membership on the nomination -election committee effective
on his date of appointment. Any officer on retirement, resignation, or dismissal
is terminated from membership on the nomination -election committee effective the
date he leaves police service. Any member of the nomination -election committee
may resign at will.
2. Vacancies created under Section 7 D will be filled by the board serving
notice of candidate filing no later than the seventh (7th) day after the vacancy
occurs with meeting of elution to be no later than the fourteenth (14th) day
after the vacancy. Notice shall be posted according to Section 7 A.
3. In the first instance the term of the nomination -election committee shall be
determined by the number of votes received in the election. A list shall be pre-
pared of those elected beginning with the five (5) greatest number of votes and
descending in order. The list shall be numbered one through five beginning with
the greatest number of votes and ending with the least. Numbers one and two shall
serve a three year term, numbers three and four shall serve a two year term, and
number five shall serve a one year term. Thereafter the term shall be three years.
SECTION 8.
A. The monimation-elution committee shall submit to the police officers a list
of three (3) to five (5) names as candidates for each commission position being
considered for elution. In selecting these persons the nomination -elution
committee shall consider their occipation, political affiliation, and their willing-
ness to serve on the commission.
B. The committee shall give at least fifteen (15) days' notice of the election.
The notice shall state the date, time, location, and the names of the candidates
being considered. The notice shall be posted in three (3) prominent locations
in the central police station.
C. Only police officers shall be present at the meeting. Police officers who
are unable to attend the meeting may vote by written proxy, naming the police
officer to whom their proxy is given. To be valid, the proxy must be notarized,
placed in a sealed envelope, and received by the chairman of the nomination
election committee before the election. The proxy shall be opened publicly by
the president of the nomination election committee, who shall preside at the meet-
ing, after he has called the meeting to order and before any vote is cast.
D. Voting for members of the commission shall be by secret ballot and the person
receiving the greatest number of votes for the category position shall be named to
the commission representing the police officers. The results of the election shall
be tabulated and filed with the Clerk of the City.
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SECTION 9.
A. All regular meetings called by the commission shall be held either at the
central police station or the city hall building. Notice of all special meetings
shall be sent to each member of the commission by certified mail, return receipt
requested, stating the time and place of the meeting. Official business may not
be transacted at special meeting unless this notice provision has been complied
with.
B. Five (5) members of the commission shall constitute a quorum and a lawful
transaction of business shall require a majority vote of the attending members,
except an action for discipline, dismissal, or demotion shall require the affirmative
vote of not less than five (5) members of the commission.
C. The commission shall establish rules for governing the commission and shall,
each year, select from its members a president, vice president, and a secretary.
SECTION 10.
A. The commission shall adopt, promulgate, and enforce rules and procedures concern-
ing the promotion of police officers. The commission shall, in cooperation with
the police officers of the city and the board, prepare job descriptions for all ranks
and positions of the police department of the city within one year of inception of
this plan. In the first instance, job and rank descriptions in existance for the
City shall be used. In addition, within one year of inception of this plan the
commission in cooperation with the police officers of the city and the board shall
prepare standards of performance, and training for promotion of all ranks. The
commission shall require the police department to provide the technical training
to meet any technical knowledge required in promoted positions. Failure of the
department to provide this training shall not place a promoted officer in jeopardy.
Failure of the promoted officer to attend such training or his failure to meet
required standards shall place the officer in jeopardy.
When considering promotions, the following four (4) factors shall be basic con-
sideration for rating a police officer:
1. The grade received by the police officer on a written competitive examination.
The commission shall set a minimum qualification score on the written competitive
examination.
2. The performance rating shall use the officer's activity reports and efficiency
reports for the two (2) year period preceding the examination date. The commission
shall set a minimum performance qualification rating.
3. The score received by the police officer on an oral interview conducted by
the commission, and
4. The score received by virtue of the length of service or longevity of the
police officer.
B.
1. The grade received on the written competitive examination shall be considered
a thirty percent (30%) of the rating.
M
2. The past performance shall be considered as thirty percent (30%) of the
rating.
3. The score received on the oral interview conducted by the commission shall
be considered as twenty percent (20%) of the rating.
4. The seniority rights based upon the number of years of service shall con-
stitute twenty percent (20%) of the rating, considering the length of service at
the rate of one percent (1%) for each year of service up to and including twenty (20)
years. (Over twenty (20) years service, 1% per year shall be added.) The appro-
priate fraction of 1% will be used for less than any full anniversary year in com-
puting seniority rights. Seniority rights score will be fixed at the date of the
examination and remain fixed on the promotion list until such time as examinations
are administered and a new promotion list posted.
C. When considering the percentage on the oral interview, the commission shall
devise the method for computing this percentage and the manner •in which it is awarded.
If any member receives seven percent (7%) or less, the commission members must
explain in writing the reasons for the score. Such explanation shall be placed in
the officer's personnelfile.
D. All examination results shall be made part of the permanent file of the
individual officer taking the examination, and shall be maintained under the super-
vision of the chief of police. The commission members shall not have knowledge of
or access to, the grade received by individual members of the police department on
the written competitive examination until the oral interview has been conducted and
the score posted. The chief of police shall notify each police officer, in writing,
of the score the officer received on the oral interview. The rules and procedures
of the commission shall provide that if any officer is aggrieved with the grade
received on the written competitive examination or the oral interview, the officer
shall have the right to appeal to the commission for a review of those scores within
ten (10) days after receiving notice of the score. The commission, after reviewing
the scores and examination, shall have the authority to affirm or correct the grade
based upon the findings of its review.
SECTION 11.
The commission shall adopt, promulgate, and enforce rules and procedures concerning
the demotion, dismissal and discipline of police officers. However, demotions,
dismissal or discipline by the commission may only be made upon written request by
the chief of police for the city and the request shall stipulate the reasons for
the demotion, dismissal, or discipline. Prior to a demotion, dismissal, or discip-
line being granted, the officer who is subject to a demotion, dismissal or discipline
request shall be notified in writing immediately and shall have the right to appeal
within five (5) days of notification, and be heard by the commission. The commis-
sion shall require the chief of police and the aggrieved police officer to be present
at a closed hearing within fifteen (15) days of the aggrieved member's request for
a hearing. The commission, after termination of the hearing, shall either affirm or
deny the demotion, dismissal or discipline request within five (5) days. If the
decision is affirmed, the chief's written request shall be signed by the president
of the commission for the commission and placed in the officer's personnel file.
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SECTION 12.
A. The rules and procedures of the commission shall include a system for the
rating of past performance. The system shall be implemented by the police depart-
ment and contain a provision requiring the performance rating for patrolmen and
sergeants to be made quarterly; lieutenants and officers of higher rank shall be
rated every six (6) months. All ratings shall be made by the officer immediately
superior to the man being rated.
B. All performance ratings shall be submitted to the chief of the police department
and kept on file in his office or under his supervision, within the central police
station.
C. The reviewing officer shall, within ten (10) days of completing the rating,
review the results of said rating with the police officer being rated.
D. If any member is aggrieved with the performance rating given to him by his
superior officer and if this grievance is not resolved in the performance review
interview, said member shall have the right to appeal to a three (3) man Department
Board of Review appointed by the chief of the police department. This appeal shall
be made within ten (10) days after the performance review interview has been con-
ducted.
E. The Department Board of Review shall be camprised of one (1) staff officer, one
(1) supervising officer, and one (1) officer of equal rank to the aggrieved, who
shall serve for not more than six (6) months. If a member of the department Board
of Review is actively involved in any grievance to cane before such body, the
actively involved member shall be disqualified, and the Chief of the Police Department
shall appoint a substitute member to serve in his place in regards to such grievance.
F. The rules and procedures of the commission shall provide that if any member is
aggrieved with the decision of the Departmental Board of Review, he shall have the
right to appeal to the commission within ten (10) days after the decision of the
Departmental Board of Review has been handed down. The commission shall have the
authority either to affirm or correct the rating based on the findings of their
review.
SECTION 13.
A. The rules and procedures shall provide that all promotions to any rank be
from the next immediate lower rank and that the person shall have qualified in
time of service required by this plan. A police officer must have served at
least one (1) year and have been granted permanent tenure in rank by the cannis-
sion before being eligible to take the promotional test for the next higher rank.
1. The requirements set forth in Section 13 (A) may be waived by the commission
in that rare instance whereby departmental reorganization, resignation, or attri-
tion, the ranks have been depleted of officers meeting promotional requirements of
Section 13 A. This waiver shall not be construed as to amend, or waive any other
promotional requirements in this plan.
B.
1. A police officer must have been a patrolman of the police department of the
City for a minim = of five (5) years before he is eligible for the rank of sergeant.
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f
2. A sergeant must have been a member of the police department for a period
of not less than seven (7) years before he is eligible for the rank of lieutenant.
3. A lieutenant must have been a member of the police department for a period
of not less than ten (10) years before he is eligible for the rank of captain.
4. The requirements set forth in Section 13 B, 2 and 3, may be waived in that
rare instance where by departmental reorganization, resignation, or attrition, the
ranks have been depleted of officers meeting promotional requirements of Section 13
B 2 and 3. This waiver shall not be construed as to amend or waive any other pro-
motional requirements in this plan.
C. No acting rank shall exceed ninety (90) days, except where an acting rank is
created to fill a vacancy because of illness, military leave, or by a vacancy in
rank which must be held open because of appointment from that rank to the rank of
chief, or staff member as provided in this plan. In any event, any acting rank
shall be filled from the existing eligibility list for that vacated rank.
D. It shall be the discretion of the chief of police to assign those promoted
ranks within the departments command structure.
E. The Commission, with approval of the Board, create rank classification for
patrolmen.
SECTION 14.
The commission shall have the authority to set rules and regulations and procedures
to grant technical status and to prepare an eligibility list. Qualifications for
technical status shall relate to the various technical aspects of the positions.
Technical status shall include but is not limited to: investigators, chemical test
operators, criminal laboratory technicians, polygraph operators, and communications
officers. The commission shall have the authority to grant technical status to any
member upon request of the chief of police provided the member has completed three
(3) years of service with this department, has maintained an acceptable performance
rating and successfully completed a written examination relative to the technical
position, and is listed on the eligibility list at the time the vacancy occurs.
An officer is not limited to any one area but may be qualified in any or all areas
covered by technical status. Each time a vacancy occurs in a technicalstatus it
shall be filled from the qualification list submitted to the appropriate captain and
forwarded to the chief with recommendations to the chief from the captain. The chief
shall then submit the name(s) and recommendations to the commission which shall have
the sole authority to fill the vacancy. It shall be the responsibility of the chief
to make known to all members when a technical position is vacated. All appointments
to technical status shall be probationary for ninety (90) days. At the conclusion
of the probationary period, the commission shall affirm or deny permanent tenure to
the member in the same manner as prescribed for the ranks of sergeant to captain, and
that member shall have the same opportunity to appeal. Demotions from technical
status shall be made in the same manner as demotions from rank, with the same pro-
visions for appeal.
mom
SECTION 15.
The rules and procedures of the commission shall be printed and a copy of the
rules and procedures shall be given to each police officer. Any amendments to
the rules and procedures made within thirty (30) days of any promotion or de-
motion do not apply to that promotion or demotion. All amendments to the rules
and procedures shall be given to all police officers. Any amendments to the rules
and procedures shall require a majority vote of all seven (7) members of the com-
mission.
SECTION 16.
A. All promotions to any rank from sergeant to and including captain shall be
probationary for a period of ninety (90) days from the time of appointment to
that rank. At the conclusion of ninety (90) days probationary period, the com-
mission shall review the performance record of the individual, and upon recom-
mendation and approval from the chief of police, provide permanent tenure for
the individual.
B. If for any reason the chief believes the individual should not be granted
permanent status, the chief must appear with the member before the commission and
present reasons for not granting permanent status. In such cases, the chief must
prepare, in writing, his reasons for not recommending an individual for permanent
status. The commission, after hearing both the chief and the aggrieved individual
shall have the authority to grant the member the rank on a permanent basis or to
deny permanency and install the next individual on the eligibility list for that
rank on a probationary basis. The report shall be signed by the president of the
commission and become a part of the personnel file of the individual member. If
any police officer is denied permanent status in a rank by the commission, his name
will be placed at the bottom of the current eligibility list established for that
rank.
C. The eligibility list shall be maintained for a period of two (2) years or until
exhausted, at which time there shall be another eligibility list established for
every rank, as previously prescribed.
SECTION 17.
The rules and procedures of the commission shall include a manner for written
competitive examinations and an education system for the members of the police
department. The commission may employ instructors who are not members of the
police department of the city or may enroll members in appropriate available
programs. The commission is authorized to purchase materials and equipment, and
allow other necessary expenditures for the purpose of instructing the police
officers. Materials, equipment, instruction and educational system shall pertain
to written examinations administered by the commission under Section 18.
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SECTION 18.
A. Written competitive examinations shall be conducted by the Commission for
the purpose of establishing eligibility lists (pursuant to Section 14) for
promotion (pursuant to Sections 13 and 10). Such examinations shall be conducted under
the provisions of this section; provided, however, that examination contents shall
be on law enforcement related to this city, and shall not be of the intelligence
quotient, general education development, or psychological profile types; and further
provided that no police officer shall have access, directly or indirectly to exam-
ination or related testing materials developed for this purpose, prior to the time
he sits for such examination.
1. The Commission shall select and designate an appropriate independent test-
ing service, outside the Police Department, to devise and grade all written exam-
inations conducted hereunder.
2. The commission may use different testing services for subsequent examina-
tions and/or for examinations for eligibility lists for promotion to different
ranks.
B. To control, administer and monitor such examination, the Commission shall
appoint a Test Committee of three from its membership, and shall designate the
chairman of the Test Comnittee. The duties of the Committee and its Chairman
shall be:
1. The Chairman shall be designated to the testing service as the person to
receive the written examination forms (and related testing materials), and subse-
quent grades; and the testing service shall be instructed to deliver such forms
and materials in a sealed package, by registered mail, to the Chairman.
2. It shall be the duty of the Chairman of the Test Committee to receive the
examination forms and materials, to maintain therm in their sealed package, and to
secure them in a safety deposit box or vault until the scheduled examination date.
3. On the examination date, the forms and materials will be delivered to the
examining room by the Chairman, and with all members of the Test Committee, they
shall break the seal and inspect the examination forms.
4. The committee shall distribute the forms to the officers taking the
examination, and shall monitor the examining room until all have been completed
and resubmitted to the Test Committee.
C. Upon completion, each member taking the examination shall report to the Test
Committee and shall draw a number, assigned by lot, and enter the number on each
page of his examination paper (and any related test materials), and shall enter the
number and his name on a card provided for this purpose, and place the card in an
unmarked envelope and seal it. He shall then submit his examination papers and
sealed envelope to the Test Committee. The Test Committee will then:
1. Forward all examination papers (including unused forms), by registered
mail, to the testing service for grading;
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2. Place all individual envelopes, containing the name and number cards,
into a packet which shall be sealed, then placed in a safety deposit box or
vault by the Chairman.
3. Upon receipt of grades from the testing service, and after completion of
the oral interviews under Section 10, the Test Committee shall deliver the sealed
packet of name and number cards to the Commission which shall then break the seal,
and assign the grades by number to the officers who took the examination.
D. All scores shall be posted by number only at the central police station. The
officer scoring the highest accumulative score in four (4) areas (written competi-
tive examination, past performance rating, oral interview, and seniority) shall be
placed at the top of the new eligibility list for that rank. Other members who
took the test shall be ranked by their accumulative scores on the eligibility list
in a descending order.
SECTION 19.
A. The mayor of the City shall appoint the chief of police. The appointment
shall be of an officer serving at a rank not less than that of Lieutenant, or
qualified to serve as a lieutenant from the current promotion list as described
in this plan.
B. The staff may consist of two (2) officers who shall be appointed by the chief
of police with the consent of the mayor. The appointment shall be officers serving
at a rank not less than that of sergeant, or qualified to serve at a rank of
sergeant from the current promotion list as described in this plan.
C. Any change in title or rank of staff positions, shall be presented in writing
to the commission. The removal of any member of the police department as chief
or staff member by the mayor shall be deemed as removal from that rank only and
not from the police department.
D. Upon expiration of term or removal from office of any chief or staff member
of the police department, such persons shall be appointed by the commission to
the rank in the police department which they held at the time of appointment to
chief or -staff member. In the event the chief or staff member have qualified
in accordance with the promotional procedure as prescribed by the commission in
its rules and procedures for any rank which is higher than the rank held at the
time of their appointment, they shall, upon expiration of their term or removal
as chief or staff member, be appointed by the commission to the rank for which
they have qualified under the promotional procedures established.
SECTION 20.
A. On the implementation of this Plan the organizational structure of the police
department shall be on the recommendation of the chief of police with the approval
of the board. The commission shall implement this structure by filling the re-
quired rank positions according to this Plan.
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B. Any future reorganization of departmental structure shall be on the recom-
mendation of the chief of police with the approval of the board. If approved
the reorganization will be implemented by the commission by -filling new rank
positions according to the rules and regulations of the commission and this
plan. However no promoted officer shall be reduced in rank for the reason of
reorganization but shall hold that rank unless qualified for promotion, nor
shall that officer lose any consideration for promotion to the next higher
rank. Reassigmment of any officer as a result of a change due to restructure
shall be in accordance with Section 13 D.
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Appendix Implementation Reference
Section 2.
A. In the first instance, the election for the nomination -election committee
of this plan shall be as follows:
1. The election shall be held before
2. The notification to the board of intent to be a can i to s e efore
3. n the first instance, the nomination -election committee shall submit
its list of candidates to the police officers within thirty (30) days of the
committee's selection.
SECTION 3.
A. In establishing the initial eligibility list under Section 1 of this act:
1. During the period of establishing the initial eligibility list, the
personnel files with the exception of the activity reports and the efficiency
reports for two years prior to establishing date of all police officers shall be
sealed and shall not be available to the commission.
SECTION 4.
In the first instance in implementing Section 1 of this plan,the ranks of the
police department shall be filled beginning with the rank of captain and descending
order to, and including the rank of sergeant providing no appointment to any rank
violates Section 13, B, 1, 2, 3.
SECTION 5.
All ranks in the police department shall be temporary for a period not to exceed
180 days after the establishment of the commission. At the conclusion of the
180 days period, all ranks shall have been filled by open competitive examinations
as provided in this act in accordance with the special guidelines provided in this
plan.
SECTION 6.
Prior to the establishment of the commission, the rules and procedures pertaining
to the performance of duties and conduct of police officers are those adopted by
the police department and the Board of Works and Public Safety.
SECTION 7.
From to there may
be paid out of the general fund of the city, upon special appropriation, on
claims properly filed, all the necessary expenses of the commission including
salaries and costs.
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As a committee we were given the task of gathering
facts and preparing a merit system for the Richmond Police
Department, we completed this to the best of our abilities.
We tried to foresee all possible problems before they
might arise, after several months of meetings we felt that
we had accomplished this goal within the plan submitted.
During the open meeting called by the council and
further the regular council session, it became apparent
that there are outside individuals who have taken issue
with the system as proposed.
Points of issue in the system were designed to avoid
problems that we felt could defeat the end results we had
hoped to achieve.
It is our opinion that we have accepted the plan as
proposed and do not desire any changes. If changes are
made then it is further our feeling that we do not want
this engrossed into an ordinance.
Y