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Powers and Duties <br /> (a) The Police Merit Board will have the power of initial appointment, promotion, demotion, <br /> discipline and dismissal of members of the police department. Assignment to non- <br /> supervisory positions is not a power of the Board. <br /> (b) The Police Merit Board adopts I.C. 36-8-3-3 (d)and(g), I.C. 36-8-3-4 and I.C. 36-8-3-4.1, <br /> all as amended, with the Board taking the role of"safety board" for purposes thereof. <br /> (c) Selection Appointment <br /> 1. All sworn members shall be appointed to the Police Department in accordance with <br /> the Department determined selection process and the merit system appointment <br /> procedures. <br /> 2. Any person who is a citizen of the United States, is at least 21 years of age and less <br /> than 40 years of age (unless otherwise eligible by law), has at least a high school <br /> diploma or equivalent, and has not been convicted within the past 20 years of a <br /> crime that is currently a felony under Indiana law, is eligible to apply to become a <br /> member of the Police Department. Each eligible applicant must meet and continue <br /> to meet all minimum fitness, medical, and psychological standards as adopted by <br /> the Department as a condition of employment with the Department. The <br /> Department shall develop such job-related minimum standards in order to meet <br /> applicable federal and state laws. <br /> 3. All applicants must pass a written examination that evaluates their aptitude and <br /> intellectual capacity required for work as a police officer, a job-related agility test, <br /> a structured oral interview process,and such other job-related tests and examination <br /> as may be required by the Chief of Police, prior to beginning work in the <br /> Department. <br /> (d) Probationary Period <br /> 1. The "Probationary Period" for a police officer newly appointed to the Police <br /> Department shall extend from the date the officer completes the South Bend Police <br /> Department Field Training Officer Program("FTO"), until such time as the officer <br /> has completed and performed one year of Active Duty in the South Bend Police <br /> Department. "Active Duty" shall mean the full duties and responsibilities required <br /> of a South Bend police officer and shall include Department approved training(not <br /> including FTO and any used vacation time, holiday time, bereavement time, and/or <br /> sick time, but shall not include any other period of leave, any period of suspension, <br /> or any period of limited/light duty status). Each probationary police officer shall be <br /> evaluated quarterly during the officer's Probationary Period by the officer's <br /> immediate supervisor pursuant to the evaluation system provided for herein or as <br /> later adopted by the Police Chief, after consultation with the Police Department <br /> Merit Board. The appointment of a police officer to the Police Department shall <br /> become permanent when the officer's Probationary Period is successfully <br /> completed. While a police officer is in FTO or in a Probationary Period,the officer <br /> is an "at-will" employee who may be terminated with or without cause and without <br /> a hearing. <br /> (e) Merit Promotion System <br /> 3 <br />