(a) Authority of Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, pursuant to applicable statutes, shall appoint all members of the Department, except the Chief, and shall have authority to promote, demote, remove, discharge and suspend members of the Department.
(Ord. 98-8. Passed 3-2-98; Ord. 2004-48. Passed 9-7-04.)
(b) Applications for Employment. Applications for employment by the Department shall be addressed to and filed with the Board, on application forms furnished by the Board, and shall be signed and verified by the applicant.
(c) Qualifications for Employment. An applicant for employment by the Department must meet all qualifications for employment established by the Board.
(d) Examinations.
(1) Each applicant shall take a written examination, pursuant to the provisions of the Illinois Municipal Code, and shall submit to an oral interview and all other examinations administered or required by the Board.
(2) Examinations shall be held at such times and places as the Board shall determine. Notice of examinations shall be published in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Board.
(e) Eligibility List. Applicants who pass such examinations shall be placed on the eligibility list, according to their standings, and appointments shall be made from such list in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
(Ord. 95-41. Passed 8-7-95.)
(f) Preference of Veterans and Others. In all cases of appointments or promotions, preference or priority shall be given to any veteran of the military services of the United States, in compliance with State or Federal law and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. In cases of original appointment to the Police Department, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners shall be authorized to enact rules or regulations awarding the following additional preference points:
(1) Five points for completion of the HCC-Auxiliary Police Program, which shall include but be not limited to graduating with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Highland Community College, successful completion of the eighteen month Auxiliary Police program operated by the Freeport Police Department and such other requirements as may be imposed by said HCC-Auxiliary Police Program; and
(2) Two points if the candidate is a full-time legal resident of the City of Freeport on the date that the application for preference points is due to be received by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners.
A candidate shall not receive the full amount of preference points as described in subparagraphs (1) and (2) immediately above if the amount of points awarded would place the candidate before a veteran on the eligibility list. (Ord. 98-8. Passed 3-2-98; Ord. 2016-33. Passed 6-6-16.)
(g) Probationary Period. Every person appointed as a new member of the Department shall be on probation for a period of twelve months from successful completion of the Field Training Officers (FTO) Program. During such period, the Board may, in its sole discretion, without hearing, discharge such appointee from employment by the Department. Within such probationary period, every new member must pass the approved training course provided for in the Illinois Police Training Act (50 ILCS 705/1 et seq., as amended), and within such period must have been certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board as having successfully completed such approved training course.
Upon request of the Chief of Police, and for good cause shown related to performance or disciplinary issues, an officer’s probationary term may be extended at the discretion of the Board for not more than an additional six-month period above and beyond the initial probationary period.
Before the expiration of such probationary period or extended probationary period, the Chief of Police shall make a written recommendation to the Board for one of the following: 1) the continuation of the appointee’s employment as a full member of the Department, or 2) discharge of the probationary appointee.
In the event he or she has been so certified as having passed such approved training course, and successfully completed the FTO Program, in the absence of discharge within such probationary period, the appointee, upon the expiration of the period of probation, shall become a full member of the Department.
(h) Non-sworn Civilian Employees. The City of Freeport may employ non-sworn civilian department members to perform non-police officer duties.
(Ord. 95-41. Passed 8-7-95; Ord. 2005-42. Passed 8-15-05; Ord. 2019-37. Passed 7-15-19; Ord. 2020-56. Passed 11-2-20; Ord. 2021-06. Passed 2-2-21.)