(A) Probationary Policepersons: Probationary policepersons shall serve not more than one year on probation. The administrative officers in charge of the probationary policeperson will submit written evaluations and recommend if the member should be hired as a regular police officer. (Ord. 767, 10-16-1989)
(B) Patrolperson: A member of the police department shall be classified as a patrolperson after the individual has passed a one year probation. (Ord. 706, 7-21-1982)
(C) Patrolperson First Class: A police officer may be promoted to patrolperson first class after the member has graduated with passing grades from the basic school at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and has held the rank of patrolperson for two (2) years.
(D) Senior Patrolperson: A police officer may be promoted to the rank of senior patrolperson after the member has attained the rank of patrolperson first class and has graduated with passing grades from the intermediate school at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, or its approved equivalent, and has held the rank of patrolperson first class for one year.
(E) Sergeant: To be eligible for promotion to the rank of sergeant, the individual must have held the rank of senior patrolperson and must have been a confirmed member of the police department for five (5) years. The member must have graduated from the advanced school or the former major case school at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, or its approved equivalent, with passing grades. The police department may have four (4) sergeants. In the event of more than one senior patrolperson eligible for promotion to sergeant, seniority and POST training points shall be considered. The promotion to sergeant may be made when openings are available. (Ord. 767, 10-16-1989)
(F) Shift Requirements: A senior ranking officer, a sergeant, or a senior patrolperson shall be assigned to each shift, if possible. The senior patrolperson shall take charge of the shift in the absence of a more senior officer.
(G) Pay Differential: A differential in pay between patrolperson through lieutenant is hereby established for the reason that with each advancement of rank, more responsibility is expected of the person and the differential in pay will be an incentive to obtain the highest rank possible.
The differential pay shall be that a patrolperson first class shall receive at least twenty five dollars ($25.00) more per month than a patrolperson; that a senior patrolperson shall receive at least thirty five dollars ($35.00) more per month than a patrolperson first class; and that a sergeant shall receive at least sixty dollars ($60.00) more per month than a senior patrolperson. A lieutenant shall receive at least sixty dollars ($60.00) more per month than a sergeant.
The police department shall be headed by a chief of police and an assistant chief of police whose wages shall be set by ordinance. (Ord. 717, 12-19-1983)