Rules and Regulations
 for the Civil Service Commission

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1. Definition of Terms
• Chapter 2. The Commission
• Chapter 3. Applications and Qualifications
• Chapter 4. Examination and Grading Procedure
• Chapter 5. Certification of the List of Eligible and Appointment
• Chapter 6. Suspensions, Removals and Reductions in Rank
• Chapter 7. Inspections
• Chapter 8. Resolution for Adoption of Rules
• Chapter 9. Civil Service and Non-Civil Service Hiring Forms and Letters
• Chapter 10. Resolutions
• Chapter 11. Notices of Appointment

Chapter 3. Applications and Qualifications

3.1 Eligibility for Hiring

In order to be eligible for participation in the hiring/examination procedure for any position with the police department, every applicant must submit a completed application form to the Commission 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.

3.2 Discrimination

The Borough is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Borough'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 status, marital status or mental handicap or disability, which, with or without a reasonable accommodation, would/does not prevent the person from performing the essential functions of the job. The Borough and the Commission will provide equal opportunities in employment and promotion.

3.3 Availability

Application forms shall be available to all interested persons in the Borough Office. Application forms may be mailed upon written or telephone request to the Borough Secretary. However, the Commission assumes no responsibility for missed filing deadlines due to a delay in the mail.

3.4 Age Requirement

All entry-level applicants must have reached their twenty-first (21st) birthday before the deadline for submitting applications.

3.5 General Qualifications for Entry-Level Patrol Officer

Applicants shall possess a diploma from an accredited high school or a graduate equivalency diploma and shall be Act 120 certified or have completed training to become Act 120 certified. In addition, every applicant must be a United States citizen, be physically and mentally fit to perform the full duties of a police officer, be eligible to receive certification from the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission (MPOETC), and, prior to appointment, possesses a valid motor vehicle operator's license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The essential functions for the position of patrol officer are contained in the job description.

3.6 Entry-Level Patrol Officer Sequence of Selection Process

To insure the proper order of the selection process, the following sequence of events shall be followed in the selection of entry level police officers:

1. Application
2. Physical Agility Testing
3. Written Examination
4. Oral Examination
5. Background Investigation
6. Polygraph Examination may be required if background investigation indicates advisable.
7. Conditional Offer of Employment
8. Medical/Psychological Examination to include drug screening.
9. Probation
10. Permanent Appointment

3.7 General Qualifications for Private First-Class

An entry-level patrol officer who has completed his probationary period and who, in addition, has served two (2) years of full-time entry-level patrol officer duty with the Gettysburg Police Department shall be advanced to the rank of Private First Class.

The essential functions for the position of Private First-Class are contained in the job description.

3.8 General Qualifications for Corporal

Prior service with the Gettysburg Borough Police Department is a prerequisite for the position of Corporal. An applicant for the position of Corporal shall have at least three (3) years of experience as a patrol officer within the Gettysburg Police Department. Should no applicants within the Department qualify for the position, the position will be advertised and will be open to non-Gettysburg Police Department applicants. In any case, written and oral examinations will be conducted to establish an eligibility list. Individuals on the eligibility list not presently employed by the Gettysburg Police Department will undergo a background investigation.

Applicants 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, must be able to be certified by the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission, and, prior to appointment, possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The essential functions for the position of Corporal are contained in the job description.

3.9 General Qualifications for Sergeant

Prior service with the Gettysburg Borough Police Department is a prerequisite for the position of Sergeant. An applicant for the position of Sergeant shall have at least five (5) years of experience as a patrol officer within the Gettysburg Police Department. Should no applicants within the Department qualify for the position, the position will be advertised and will be open to non-Gettysburg Police Department applicants. In any case, written and oral examinations will be conducted to establish an eligibility list. Individuals on the eligibility list not presently employed by the Gettysburg Police Department will undergo a background investigation.

Applicants 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, must be able to be certified by the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission, and, prior to appointment, possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The essential functions for the position of Sergeant are contained in the job description.

3.10 General Qualifications for Chief of Police

Every applicant for the position of Chief of Police shall have earned a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice or a related field from an accredited college or university. Also every applicant must have 5 years of police experience, including two years in a supervisory police position or any equivalent combination of training and experience. In addition, every applicant must be a United States citizen, be physically and mentally fit to perform the essential functions listed in the job description for Police Chief, must be able to be certified by Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission, and, prior to appointment possess a valid motor vehicle operators license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As a minimum, an oral interview will be conducted and if the individual is not presently employed by the Gettysburg Police Department, a background investigation will be conducted. The position of Chief shall be filled as described in 53 P.S. §46184

The essential functions for the position of Chief of Police are contained in the job description.

3.11 Recording and Filing of Application

General applications for police employment, received by the Borough or Commission, and which have no relevance to a decision to test in order to create an eligibility list for entry-level patrol officers, shall be discarded and are ineffective as a means of applying for entry-level patrol officer employment. To be an effective application for the position of entry-level patrol officer, the application must be received at the Borough Administrative Building only after the Commission has legally advertised its intention to conduct an examination for the position on entry-level Gettysburg Borough Police Officer. Applications received after such notice has been legally advertised, but also after the deadline date for receiving such applications will be rejected and returned to the applicant.

The Borough, or its designee, shall review each application upon receipt, for the purpose of determining that such application contains no errors or omissions. Any application received more than ten (10) days prior to the filing deadline, containing errors or omissions shall be returned to the applicant for correction or addition. An application received within less than ten (10) days prior to the filing of the deadline and containing material errors or omissions shall not be considered and will not be returned. The Commission, or its designee, shall date, number, and record, in the order of receipt, all applications free of errors and omissions. The individual recording the applications shall note whether the individual is requesting veteran's status and whether the individual has given notice of a need for a reasonable accommodation in the application or examination process. An application, once recorded, shall not be returned to the applicant.

3.12 Disqualification/Rejection of Applicant

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. 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 to which he seeks employment, 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.

Further, an applicant may be disqualified or rejected for one of the following criteria:

1. Having been convicted of a crime for which the punishment can be more than one year imprisonment as defined in Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, as defined in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred or as defined in the Military Code of Conduct.
2. Having been released from any military or civilian police department for actions or inactions which, though not committed while employed as a Borough of Gettysburg police officer, could result in discipline if engaged in by a member of the Borough of Gettysburg Police Department.
3. Having been released from any civilian police department during probation.
4. Having a history of heavy gambling loss or failure to remain current in the payment of taxes.
5. Failure to provide support for minor children.
6. Evidence of present improper use of controlled substances as defined in schedules I through V of Section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C.A. § 812.

3.13 Hearing for Disqualified Applicants

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 ten 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. § 101 et seq. The applicant or aggrieved party must make his request for a hearing in writing within ten calendar days of the date when the party knew or should have known of the Commission's action which is being challenged. This request for a hearing should be served upon the Secretary of the Commission in its offices at 59 East High Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

3.14 Penalty for False Statement

The statements made by the applicant in the official application shall contain no falsification, omission or concealment of material fact. Should investigation disclose any willful misstatement, falsification or concealment with respect to an application:

1. The application shall be invalid and the applicant shall be disqualified from examination;
2. If the applicant shall have been examined, the name of such applicant shall be removed from the eligibility list;
3. If the applicant shall have been appointed, such deliberate falsification, omission or concealment shall constitute grounds for dismissal from the Police Department. Such falsification, omission or concealment shall be grounds for dismissal no matter how long the timeframe between appointment and the discovery of the falsification, omission or concealment.

Any applicant or other person who believes that they are aggrieved as a result of the actions of the Commission referenced in this section may request a hearing before the Commission pursuant to Chapter 3.13.

No person who shall make any application containing a deliberate misstatement, falsification, omission or concealment shall be permitted to make any future application for any position in the Police Department of the Borough.

3.15 Public Notice

The Commission shall conspicuously post in the Borough building an announcement of the hiring and/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 the Borough of Gettysburg.

Please indicate on what aspects of the psychological exam the applicant was unable to successfully complete. Additionally, please provide any anecdotal information that would help the Commission better understand why the candidate failed to complete that portion of the examination.