(a) Appointment and Removal. The City Manager shall select and appoint the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police may be removed or discharged by the City Manager; provided, however, that the City Manager shall file with the corporate authorities the reasons therefor and such removal or discharge shall not become effective unless confirmed by a majority vote of the corporate authorities. Candidates qualified to serve as Chief of Police must meet the following criteria:
(1) Have obtained and held the rank of Deputy Police Chief, Lieutenant, Sergeant or have five years of progressively responsible law enforcement supervisory experience within a department of comparable size to the Freeport Police Department.
(2) Have served as a professional police officer for at least consecutive ten years.
(3) Associates Degree in a related field or successful completion and certification from either the FBI National Academy, Southern Police Institute, or Northwestern University Staff and Command Training program, or able to successfully complete program within one year of appointment.
(4) Commencing August 1, 2017 and thereafter, any person newly appointed to serve as the Chief of Police shall reside within the corporate limits of the City within six months of the date of his/her appointment.
The City Manager may remove or discharge the Chief of Police. In such case, the City Manager shall file with the corporate authorities the reasons for such removal or discharge, and which removal or discharge shall not become effective unless confirmed by a majority vote of the corporate authorities.
(b) Authority and Duties. The Chief of Police, in addition to all other duties provided by law, shall:
(1) Enforce this and all other ordinances of the City and all statutes of the State among all members of the Department, and shall give any necessary orders and take any needed action to insure such enforcement.
(2) Promptly report to the City Manager and the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners all violations of such ordinances and statutes by members of the Department.
(3) Render annually to the City Manager and the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, confidential written efficiency reports on each member of the Department as to character, attitude, competency, ability, attention to duty, discipline and courtesy.
(4) Not be disrespectful or discourteous to the City Manager, the Mayor or to any member of Council or of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
(5) Provide for and assign the duties of the members of the Department, consistent with lawful orders of the City Manager.
(6) Not publicly criticize, or release for publication any criticism of, the City Manager, the Mayor, a member of Council or a member of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
(7) Make available to the City Manager all files, official records and documents of the Department or relating to Department business, except where such release would jeopardize the safety or privacy of the Department, Department employees or members of the public.
(8) Receive and obey all lawful orders of the City Manager.
(9) Be the superior officer within, and direct the work of, the Department, be obeyed and accorded respect by all members and be responsible for the discipline of the members. When necessarily absent, the Chief shall leave with the Deputy Chief of Police information as to his or her whereabouts and return.
(10) Establish rules and regulations not inconsistent with this chapter, any other ordinances or resolutions of Council or any rules or regulations of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
(11) Be responsible and account for all property, equipment and buildings provided for the Department and employ the same as the City Manager may lawfully direct, be responsible and account for all goods or other property received or reclaimed under Department authority, and make final disposition thereof as the City Manager may lawfully direct.
(12) Attend all Council meetings, serve all written notifications as ordered by the City Manager and perform all other duties as shall be prescribed by the City Manager or the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
(13) Report monthly, in writing, to the City Manager and the Council on the activities of the Department, which report shall set forth the number of arrests made, the nature of the offenses, the number of calls and parking violations and fines.
(14) When a vacancy exists in a rank other than Patrol Officer, appoint some qualified member of the Department as an acting member of that rank. Such appointed person shall serve only until the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners shall have appointed a person from its valid promotion eligibility roster to fill that vacancy.
(Ord. 95-41. Passed 8-7-95; Ord. 2004-48. Passed 9-7-04; Ord. 2017-52. Passed 7-3-17; Ord. 2017-68. Passed 9-5-17.)