§ 42-23. Police officers—Qualifications.

Any person employed by the city as a police officer shall have the following qualifications:

(1)

Shall be at least 18 years of age;

(2)

Shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the city;

(3)

Shall have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent;

(4)

Shall not have been convicted, by any state or by the federal government, of any crime, the punishment for which could have been imprisonment in a federal or state prison or institution; nor shall he have been convicted of sufficient misdemeanors to establish a pattern of disregard for the law;

(5)

Shall be fingerprinted and a search made of local, state, and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal records;

(6)

Shall possess good moral character as determined by investigation procedure established by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council;

(7)

Shall have an oral interview with the mayor and city council to determine such things as applicant's appearance, background, and ability to communicate;

(8)

Shall be found, after examination by a licensed physician or surgeon, to be free from any physical, emotional, or mental conditions that might adversely affect his exercising the powers or duties of a police officer;

(9)

Shall complete, satisfactorily, at least a basic course of 114 hours of instruction within 12 months of the data of his appointment as a police officer, except that an extension may be granted by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council on account of illness, injury, military service, or other reasons deemed sufficient by said council; and

(10)

Shall hold no other job without the permission of the mayor and the council.

(Code 1979, § 3-606.4.a)