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Applicable To:  Sworn employees

Approval Authority:  Chief George N. Turner

Signature:  Signed by GNT

Date Signed:  5/2/11

1.          PURPOSE  PAGEREF _Toc148367455 \h 1

2.          POLICY   PAGEREF _Toc148367456 \h 1

3.          RESPONSIBILITIES  PAGEREF _Toc148367457 \h 1

4.          ACTION  PAGEREF _Toc148367458 \h 2

4.3        Application  PAGEREF _Toc148367459 \h 2

4.4        Selection Criteria  PAGEREF _Toc148367460 \h 3

4.5        Selection  PAGEREF _Toc148367461 \h 3

4.6        Special Appointment PAGEREF _Toc148367462 \h 3

4.7        Required Training  PAGEREF _Toc148367463 \h 3

5.          DEFINITIONS  PAGEREF _Toc148367464 \h 4

6.          CANCELLATIONS  PAGEREF _Toc148367465 \h 4

7.          REFERENCES  PAGEREF _Toc148367466 \h 4

1.               PURPOSE

This directive establishes the selection process leading to the appointment of investigators and senior police officers.

2.               POLICY

The Chief of Police, in his or her discretion, may make assignments to the positions of Investigator and Senior Police Officer without reference to competitive examination or eligible lists.  Any investigator or senior police officer so designated may be removed or transferred at the pleasure of the Chief of Police.  Such person so removed or transferred shall thereupon resume the non-discretionary rank or title in the Police Department held immediately prior to such person’s discretionary assignment as an investigator or senior police officer.  Such person shall be notified in writing of the removal or transfer. 

(City Code Section 98-32 and 98-61.)

3.               RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1              The Chief of Police appoints police officers to and reassigns them from positions of investigator and senior police officer.

3.2              The SSD Commander manages the selection process and appoints the members of the oral interview boards.  With the other deputy chiefs, he or she determines the questions for the oral interview, sets the weighting of the selection criteria, and advises the Chief of Police on selections from the final list of applicants.

3.3              The section commanders shall complete the section commander’s review portion of the Discretionary Appointment Application.

3.4              The Training Unit commander manages and coordinates the application, written assessment and oral interview process.  Moreover, he or she shall administer the required training for each rank specification.

3.5              Supervisors shall assist their officers in the application process.

3.6              An officer may apply for an appointment to either the position of investigator or senior police officer.

4.               ACTION

4.1              The Training Unit commander shall announce the assessment/testing process in the daily bulletin.  The announcement shall include eligibility criteria, application procedures, and deadlines. CALEA 5^th Ed. standard 16.2.2

4.2              The minimum qualifications for an employee to apply for an appointment to investigator or senior police officer are:

1.    An applicant must have had at least three years continuous service  as a sworn member of the police department immediately prior to the last date for filing an application;

2.    An applicant must not have a record of discipline with an active reckoning period with adverse action equal to or greater than a five-day suspension on the last date for filing an application.

3.    An applicant must achieve a minimum rating of “effective” on each of their past three performance evaluations.

4.3              Application

4.3.1           The commencement of the application process shall be announced in the daily bulletin, division staff meetings, section staff meetings, and roll calls at a minimum.  The announcement shall describe the assessment criteria.  The last date for filing an application shall be included in the announcement.

4.3.2           A police officer who meets the minimum qualifications described in section 4.2 may apply for appointment to the discretionary rank of investigator or senior police officer. 

4.3.3           Interested police officers may request a Discretionary Appointment Application (Form APD-226) from their immediate supervisor or obtain one from the APD network.  The police officer shall complete all applicable parts of the application and return it to his or her section commander.

4.3.4           The applicant’s section commander shall obtain an OPS complaint summary and complete the Section Commander’s Review portion of the Discretionary Appointment Application.  If the officer does not have a section commander in his or her chain of command, then the police officer’s division commander shall complete the review.  Forward the application to the Training Unit commander.

4.3.5           The Training Unit commander shall process all applications received by the section commanders by the close of business on the last date for filing an application. 

4.4              Selection Criteria

4.4.1           The first criterion for all applicants shall be a written assessment; the result of this exercise shall be categorized pass and fail.  General information regarding the written assessment shall be described in the bulletin announcement. 

4.4.2           The second criterion for all applicants shall be an oral interview conducted by a panel comprised of a lieutenant, a sergeant, an investigator, and a senior police officer; the result of this exercise shall be categorized pass and fail.

4.4.3           The third criterion is the police officer’s OPS complaint history; the criteria shall be predetermined and approved by the chief. The results of this review shall be categorized as eligible or not eligible.   

4.4.4           The Training unit commander shall compile a list of applicants who pass the assessment process.  

4.5              Selection

4.5.1           The Chief of Police shall review the eligibility list of candidates who successfully pass the assessment process.  The Chief of Police shall consult with the deputy chiefs to prepare the final eligibility lists of applicants for both discretionary appointments.

4.5.2           The Chief of Police shall make appointments to the discretionary ranks of investigator and senior police officer at his or her discretion.  Any eligible officer with an open internal affairs complaint shall not be considered for appointment until after the investigation is closed.

4.5.3           The Chief of Police may appoint from the list of applicants, for up to 24 months from the effective date of the first appointment from the list.  At the discretion of the Chief of Police, the list may be voided prior to the end of the 24-month time frame.

4.6              Special Appointment

4.6.1           A police officer who is assigned to a qualifying assignment may be appointed to investigator or SPO status if he or she meets the minimum qualifications set by section 4.2

4.6.2           For this appointment, the officer does not have to be on the list that is produced through section 4.4

4.6.3           Without exception, an investigator or SPO who was appointed under this process and who leaves the qualifying assignment shall revert to police officer status.  When no longer in a qualifying assignment, the officer must qualify through section 4.3 and 4.4

4.7              Required Training

4.7.1           The Training Unit commander shall conduct relevant training for newly appointed investigators and senior police officers.  The investigator’s training curriculum shall prepare those students for conducting follow-up investigations and working in plainclothes.  The senior police officer’s training curriculum shall prepare those students to serve as field training officers.

4.7.2           The newly appointed investigator or senior police officer must pass the final exam in the training program in order to retain the discretionary appointment.

4.8              Investigators and senior police officers are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the Chief of Police.  This process is established to assist the Chief of Police in selecting police officers for these discretionary ranks.  This process is not intended to create a competitive evaluation instrument that results in an eligibility list.

5.               DEFINITIONS

5.1              Qualifying assignment:  A Departmental assignment so designated by the Chief of Police due to the special skills, expertise, knowledge, or abilities required for that assignment.  These assignments may include, but are not limited to:  Training, Field Training Officers, Executive Protection, SWAT, Hit-and-Run, and Recruiting.

6.               CANCELLATIONS

                  APD.SOP.2100 “Appointment to Investigator or Senior Police Officer”, issued October 1, 2006

7.               REFERENCES

                  City Code Sections 98-32 and 98-61

                  APD.SOP.1010 “Mission and organization of the Department”

                  APD.SOP.2110 “Duties of Senior Police Officers”

                  Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, 5^th edition standards 16.2.2 and 33.6.1