Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
3.38 Promotion: Administrative Practices and Procedures
3.38.1 Probationary Period for Promoted Employees (Revised: 2/10/20 )
A probationary period will be served by each promoted sworn personnel. This period serves as
an opportunity for the Chief of Police and management staff to train, monitor and adjust the
performance of the newly promoted personnel to attain proficiency in the new position.
Probationary periods will be served, at a minimum, as outlined below. A member’ s probationary
period may be extended with the approval of the Chief of Police in order to provide personnel
specialized instruction or remedial training. Incumbents with unsatisfactory performance shall be
alerted to any need for improvement and informed that the lack of improvement may be cause
for discipline, demotion, and return to their former rank and/or termination.
Probationary periods will be served, at a minimum, as outlined below:
A. Supervising Public Safety Dispatchers serve a twelve -month pro bationary period. This
twelve -month period is required even if the dispatcher has served a probationary period
in a University class outside of the dispatcher series. The probationary period is
completed following twelve months of continuous service at one -half time or more
without a break in service, exclusive of time on paid or unpaid leave or in the Peace
Officer Standards and Training (POST) Dispatch Academy.
B. Police Officers promoted to Sergeant and Police Sergeants promoted to Lieutenant serve
a six-month probationary period in the new class to which they are promoted. The
probationary period is completed following six months of continuous service at one -half
time or more without a break in service, exclusive of time on paid or unpaid leave. Police
Officers promoted to Sergeant and Police Sergeants promoted to Lieutenant who do not
complete their probationary periods shall be retained in the same local department where
service as Sergeant or Lieutenant was performed, but shall return to the rank that applied
immediately prior to the promotion. Police Officers promoted to Sergeant and Police
Sergeants promoted to Lieutenant shall be covered by all Personnel Policies for Staff
Members that apply to regular status personnel during the probationary period .
C. External applicants appointed to Police Sergeant or Police Lieutenant will serve a 12 -
month probationary period. The probationary period is completed following twelve
months of continuous service at one -half time or more without a break in service,
exclusive of time on paid or unpaid leave.
D. American Federation of State, County and Municipa l Employees (AFSCME), CX and
non-PPSM covered personnel will not be required to serve a probationary period in any
position for which they have been pr omoted . provided that the member was tenured and
there is no break in service.