(a) The chief of police may designate certain police officers in the police department as bilingual personnel who, in addition to their regular duties, will perform certain specialized functions. Bilingual personnel so assigned will comply with the following for the department:
(1) BILINGUAL PERSONNEL
means a police officer who, in the performance of the officer's duties, is capable of effectively translating a language used by the residents of Fort Worth into English and English into the same language, orally and/or in writing.
(2) To be eligible for bilingual skills pay, the officer must take and pass a language proficiency test administered by the human resources department. If a language proficiency test is not available through human resources, employees must provide an appropriate certification from an accredited agency or institution to be eligible for bilingual skills pay.
(3) Upon request, employees receiving bilingual pay are expected to assist other departments with translation. Refusal to assist may result in the loss of bilingual pay. Bilingual pay can be discontinued at any time at the discretion of the chief of police or designee as long as the employee no longer uses bilingual skills in the performance of their essential job functions.
(b) A Bilingual personnel who has been designated by the chief of police will be compensated the sum of $100 per month for the use of verbal skills and an additional $25 per month for the use of writing skills for a total of $125 per month as assignment pay, in addition to that individual's regular pay.
(Ord. 9865, § 1, passed 4-27-1987; Ord. 21708-03-2015, § 1, passed 3-24-2015)