CHANDLER POLICE
DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDERS
Serving with Courage, Pride, and Dedication
Summary:
Order
B-03 SPECIALTY ASSIGNMENTS
Subject
Effective
100 Administration
08/10/12
This order describes the application and selection process for lateral transfer
to and between specialty or temporary assignments in the department.
A. POLICY
City of Chandler Personnel Rule 6.02 governs transfers
B. ANNUAL REVIEW OF
SPECIALTY ASSIGNMENTS
[16.2.1] {1.3.3}
AFFECTED DIVISION CHIEFS shall annually review each specialty
assignment for the purpose of determining whether the position should be
continued. The review will take place prior to shift selection and shall include:
1. An evaluation of the initial problem or condition that required the
implementation of the specialized assignment
2. The purpose for which the assignment was initiated
3. The decision to retain/discontinue the assignment
4. A memo to the Police Chief describing the changes made and the initiation
of any related policy changes
C. DEFINITION
[16.2.3]
1. SPECIALTY OR TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT: Any position or specialty
worked by a police officer other than patrol or by a civilian other than that
defined in the affected job class
2. Specialty or temporary assignments are NOT promotions
3. Specialty or temporary assignments include the following assignments:
a. Administrative Services Unit (formerly Public Information Officer [PIO])
b. Arizona Law Enforcement Academy (Recruit Training Officer,
Defensive Tactics, Recruit Training Sergeant)
c. Bicycle Team
d. Crime Prevention
e. Criminal Investigations Bureau
f. Critical Incident Stress Management Team
g. Command Van Operator (Sworn and Civilian)
h. Dispatch Trainer (civilian)
i. Explorer Advisor
j. Field Training Officer (FTO)
k. Firearms Training
l. Honor Guard
m. Housing
n. K-9 Unit
o. Phlebotomists
p. Professional Standards Section (PSS)
q. School Policing Unit (formerly Public Resources Unit)
r. Special Assignment Unit (SAU)
s. Traffic Team
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS: Administration
08/10/12
CPD GO B-03.100
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t. Training
u. Warrant Detail
v. Any additional specialty or temporary assignments that may be created
based on the needs of the department
D. SELECTION PROCESS
[16.2.2] [16.2.3] [46.2.2] {1.3.4}
ALL SPECIALTY OR TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENTS are subject to the
standard selection process, including sergeants and first line civilian
supervisors in specialties
Step
1. Announcement
2. Eligibility
Requirements
Figure 1: Selection Process Outline
Procedures
The Professional Standards Section will publish a memo including:
a. A description of the criteria for the position
b. Closing date: Open fourteen days minimum
c. Distribution to all affected personnel
a. Years of Experience
1) Officers
Minimum of three years of experience as a sworn officer (at least
two with the Chandler Police Department) prior to the close of
application
2) Civilians
Minimum of three years of experience, at least two years of
which were with the Chandler Police Department, prior to the
close of application
3) Probationary employees (non-exempt sworn and civilian):
Ineligible to apply for specialty assignments
b. Direct transfer from one specialty assignment to another: To apply
for a new specialty assignment, employee must complete current
one-year commitment prior to the closing date
c. A suspension within one year prior to the closing of applications
will disqualify the applicant from being considered for the specialty
assignment. Barring extenuating circumstances, use the date of
administrative action as the beginning date for this one-year time
period. Employees must meet performance standards to be
approved to a specialty assignment.
d. Performance standards: An employee who does not meet
performance standards as a result of an annual evaluation or a 90day reevaluation is not eligible to be appointed to a specialty
position. The employee may participate in the selection process and
compete for placement on the eligibility list for the specialty position,
however will not be considered for the position until such time the
employee meets the performance standards of their current
assignment. The employee shall retain their placement on the
eligibility list for future consideration.
e. Special requirements: Some specialty assignments have additional
requirements that candidates must meet to be eligible for
consideration, i.e., SAU candidates must pass a firearms and
physical fitness requirement to be considered for the assignment
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS: Administration
08/10/12
Step
3. Application For
Position
CPD GO B-03.100
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Procedures
a. Interested employees
1) Complete specialty assignment application
2) Complete requested résumé
3) Forward application and résumé to supervisor
b. Chain of command
1) Each person in the chain of command will review the employee’s
request
2) The officer’s/employee’s sergeant/supervisor may comment on
performance, training, experience, education, and skills and
abilities regarding the applicant’ s suitability for the specialty
assignment
3) Forward the memo through the chain of command to the
appropriate bureau/precinct/section commander or civilian
section manager prior to the closing date
4) Bureau/precinct/section commander or civilian section manager
will forward completed packets to PSS
c. PSS: Forward all applications to the affected bureau/precinct/section
commander or civilian section manager to begin the evaluation
process
4. Evaluation
Applicant must obtain a combined passing score of 70% to be placed on
the eligibility list.
a. Selection scoring guidelines: Base on established criteria
1) Written résumés
10 points
2) Last two performance appraisals
10 points
3) Practical exercise or past work review
15 points
4) Presentation of officer’s preparation
for the specialty
10 points
5) Oral interview
50 points
6) Seniority points
5 points maximum*
b. Selection Board Members
1) For officer/first line civilian
a) Specialty supervisor
b) Another sergeant/supervisor
c) Bureau/precinct/section lieutenant or civilian supervisor
2) Sergeant/supervisor
a) Bureau/precinct/section lieutenant or manager
b) Another lieutenant or manager
c) Bureau/precinct/section commander or designee
3) Professional Standards personnel will provide instruction on the
rating system to the selection board prior to the process
4) Board members will remain the same throughout the process
c. Selection Board Responsibilities
1) Résumés and Evaluations: Review each applicant’s written
résumé and the last two complete annual performance
evaluations. Assign a score following the established rating
criteria guidelines provided to the selection board
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Step
CPD GO B-03.100
Page 4
Procedures
2) Practical Exercise or Work Review: Design and evaluate a
practical exercise or review candidates past written work, which
may include written reports or investigations. Score this exercise
on the candidate’s overall performance, considering the quality,
content, organization of thoughts, grammar and punctuation, and
thoroughness of the documentation.
3) Oral Evaluation: The selection board will design questions that
relate to the specialty assignment. Each board member will score
the oral presentation of each candidate.
a) Record the candidate’s responses and indicate their
performance on the oral board question sheet during the oral
evaluation for future reference
b) Score applicants independently of other board members
based on the correct answer criteria
c) Numerically score applicant based on responses to questions
measured against established suggested answer criteria
d. *Seniority: Maximum total of five points based on twenty years of
service with the Chandler Police Department
1) First line employee: Add .021 points per month of Chandler
Police Department service.
a) Officer: Begin from date of hire
b) Civilian: Begin from date of hire
2) Supervisory position, sergeants and civilian supervisors: Add
.021 points per month of police service from the date of class as
a supervisor
e. Recommendation: The Selection Board will forward the rank order
list to the appropriate division chief
5. Selection
a. The Police Chief must approve the final selection and any out-of-listorder selections for transfer
b. The Police Chief may authorize exceptions based on unique talents
or department needs
c. Professional Standards will announce the selection
6. Questions On
Selection
Decision
Any applicant who has questions about the results of the assignment
selection process may meet with the supervisor of the selection board
a. The supervisor will provide the applicant with the results of the
selection process and will give the applicant guidance on
improvement to achieve his specialty goal
b. If the applicant is not satisfied with the supervisor’s justification, he
may request to meet with the specialty unit lieutenant, bureau/
precinct/section commander or civilian section manager, and the
division chief
c. The division chief will document applicant concerns and forward
them to the Police Chief
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CPD GO B-03.100
Page 5
7. Eligibility List
a. The selection board results will be used to establish an eligibility list
that will be in effect for one year from date of approval by the Chief
b. The office of Professional Standards will maintain the eligibility list
c. The list will be available on the F: Drive at Police/Police/PSS Forms/
All Eligibility Lists
8. File Retention
The division chief will forward selection board documentation to the
Professional Standards Section after the selection for archival including:
a. Announcement of specialty opening
b. Members of the selection board
c. Review and evaluation of each applicant’s resume
d. Review and evaluation of each applicant’s performance evaluations
e. The written or practical exercise and evaluation of each applicant
f. Oral board questions, suggested answer criteria, and evaluation of
each applicant
g. Evaluation of seniority
h. List of applicants in rank order
i. Memo announcing the selection
E. ASSIGNMENT LENGTH
[16.2.3]
1. MINIMUM COMMITMENT:
a. Specialty – one year
b. Temporary – length of assignment
2. REVIEW OF EMPLOYEE: Specialty assignment supervisors and cost
center managers will review the performance of all employees who work
under their supervision in specialty assignments on an on-going basis
using performance appraisals
3. REMOVAL FROM SPECIALTY ASSIGNMENTS
a. Length of service alone should not be used as the sole criteria for
removal of the employee from a specialty assignment
b. Documented performance issues: An employee may be removed
from a specialty assignment:
1) For failure to meet performance expectations after given the
opportunity to improve performance
2) For the best interest of the employee, the department, or the
community as determined by the Police Chief
3) For failure to maintain an overall acceptable level of performance
in a primary assignment
4) At the discretion of a division chief at any time with reasonable
justification
c. Nature of the work: Narcotics investigators will undergo an additional
yearly review by the chain of command after three years in the
assignment before an extension is granted
d. Employee request: An employee may ask to be removed from an
assignment at any time after completing a one-year commitment or
when it is in the best interest of the employee and the department as
determined by the Police Chief
e. Employees who have received extensive training relating to the
specialty assignment may be required to remain in the assignment for
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Page 6
up to one additional year at the discretion of the affected division chief
to fully utilize their training. Training shall in no way affect leaving
specialty assignments for promotions.
F. CHIEF’S DISCRETION
The Police Chief may suspend this order at any point in the process in any
manner the Chief deems necessary for the good of the department
G. SPECIALTY COMPENSATION
[22.1.1] [42.2.5]
Personnel in the following specialty assignments will receive additional pay for
the assignment but will revert to regular pay status upon transfer out of these
specialty assignment programs
Figure 2. Special Compensation for Named Specialty Assignments
Specialty
Field Training Officer (FTO)
Dispatch Trainer
Canine Handlers
New
Canine Trainer
Motor Officers
✦✦✦
Compensation
5%
5%, when assigned a trainee
Nine-hour workday, four days per week
Remaining four hours used to accommodate athome care and maintenance
5%
38-hour workweek plus two hours per week
allocated for cleaning motorcycles