[1]
Editor's Note: The sections of this Title were originally
numbered as Sections 155 through 160. They were renumbered as Sections
160 through 165, respectively, at the direction of the City.
In addition to any other provisions set forth in this Act, the
Common Council shall keep a record of all appointments and removals
made by it in the Police. Department, as hereinafter provided, and
also a record of its Acts and of the rules and regulations adopted
by it pertaining to said Police Department, which said records shall
at all times be open to the public. And the said Council is hereby
empowered, in its discretion, to enact, adopt, modify and repeal,
from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Act, rules and
regulations for the management and discipline of the policemen appointed
by it, and may fine or suspend from pay or duty, or both, any of said
policemen, subject to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service
Law.
The City of Norwich shall have a paid police force. The Common
Council shall appoint from time to time such number of policemen as
it may deem wise, and may, when deemed advisable, appoint at any time
such number of special policemen from among the citizens of said city
as it may deem wise. Such policemen and said special policemen, together
with the Common Council, shall constitute the police force of the
said city. And said Common Council may, upon the application of any
person or persons or corporations showing the necessity thereof, appoint
special policemen who shall serve for a time not exceeding that stated
in the application to do special duty as required by the applicant,
but such last-named policemen shall not be entitled to any compensation
for their services from the City of Norwich. Nor shall any appointment
of special police constables be made upon application of any person
or persons or corporation as herein provided, until after the applicant
or applicants, if required by the Common Council, shall have secured
and indemnified the said City of Norwich with a good and sufficient
bond, to be approved by the Common Council of said city, conditioned
that the said city will be saved harmless from all costs, salaries,
expenses or damages by reason of such appointment. Any person appointed
either as a policeman, special policeman or special police constable
shall take and file with the Clerk of the City of Norwich the constitutional
oath before entering upon the duties of his office. A certificate
of the appointment of such policeman shall be duly filed with the
City Clerk and a copy thereof duly certified by said Clerk shall be
filed in the Clerk's office of the County of Chenango. Pending
any regular or special meeting of the Common Council, the Mayor shall
have the right to appoint special policemen with the same force and
effect until such meeting of the Common Council.
The Common Council may appoint a Chief of Police and an Assistant
Chief of Police from the active police force. Such appointment shall
be made according to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service
Law: if a vacancy shall occur, appointments shall be made according
to the following section herein. The Chief of Police shall perform
such duties as may be prescribed by law or by the rules and regulations
of the Common Council of the City.
In case of a vacancy in said police force from any cause, the
Common Council shall fill the vacancy according to the rules and regulations
of the Civil Service law, and they shall remove any of said policemen
upon being convinced of their incompetence or of their being guilty
of illegal, corrupt or other improper conduct, after the preferring
of charges and an opportunity to be heard thereon having been granted.
The said policemen shall have the full powers and duties of
constables of the towns in regard to criminal and civil process or
proceedings, and in addition thereto all the powers and duties conferred
by this Act, and they shall perform such other duties as shall be
lawfully prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Common Council
of the city, and it shall be the duty of such policemen to serve any
and all criminal process papers issued by the City Court of said city.
The Chief of Police shall have the power to fix and accept bail temporarily
in all cases excepting indictable misdemeanors and felonies. And such
Chief of Police, upon fixing and receiving such bail as herein provided,
shall pay the same into the City Court upon the convening of the same
the next following morning, and report to the presiding Judge thereof
the name of the person or persons charged with having committed such
misdemeanor or misdemeanors charged. The Common Council may require
the Chief of Police fixing bail and receiving it as herein provided,
to execute and file a bond in the same manner as other officers mentioned
in this Act.
The pay of said policemen shall be fixed by the Common Council.
The salaries of such policemen shall be paid as the Common Council
may direct upon the warrant of the Common Council, drawn upon the
Director of Finance, and the money to pay the same and the money to
pay said special policemen shall be taken from the fund which is designated
as Police Fund. Such policemen shall not receive any other compensation
from the city except when traveling in the discharge of their duties
in conveying persons to prison or by direction of the Common Council
in the discharge of their duties, or by the direction of the City
Judge upon warrant issued by him, when their actual expenses shall
be paid upon a verified statement of the items of such expenses in
detail, to be verified by the Common Council and audited and paid
out of the Police Fund and in the same manner as other claims against
the city as herein provided, out of the Police Fund. The Common Council
may, by resolution, give to any such policemen, including the policeman
or other person designated as the Chief of Police, a vacation or vacations
of not less than two (2) weeks in any one (1) year, and the period
or periods of such vacation or vacations shall be included as a part
of the time for which such policeman shall be entitled to pay as time
actually served by him. The Common Council is authorized to fix the
salary of special policemen.
