[Adopted as Ch. 4, Art. 2, Secs. 4-2-1 through 4-2-9 of the
1972 City Code; amended 3-19-1987 by Ord. No. 75-45]
There is created a Police Department for the City of Las Vegas
which shall consist of one Chief of Police and as many police officers
and support staff as may be deemed necessary for the safety and good
order of the City.
The Police Department shall be operated and managed in accordance
with such departmental Rules and Regulations as may be promulgated
by the Chief of Police.
The Chief of Police shall:
A.
Be appointed or dismissed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council
upon recommendation by the City Manager. The Chief of Police is the
executive head and Department Director of the Police Department. The
Police Chief is invested with the responsibility for the total administration
and operation of the Police Department. The Chief of Police shall
be a commissioned police officer of the City of Las Vegas;
B.
Establish all policy and operational procedures for the Police Department
and determine the police techniques and procedures that will be adopted
by the Police Department;
C.
Be responsible for the recruitment, training and commissioning of
all police officers and recommendations for hiring of all Department
personnel;
D.
Execute and return all writs and processes as directed by the Municipal
Judge;
E.
Serve criminal writs and processes in any part of the county wherein
the municipality is situated;
F.
Within the municipality, suppress all riots, disturbances, and breaches
of the peace;
G.
Be responsible for police officers' actions in preventing and
suppressing crime and protecting life and property;
H.
Investigate all violations of the criminal laws of the state or municipality
which are called to the attention of any such officer or of which
he is aware;
I.
Diligently file a complaint or information, if the circumstances
are such as to indicate to a reasonably prudent person that such action
should be taken;
J.
Cooperate with and assist the Attorney General, District Attorney
and City Attorney, or other prosecutor, if any, in all reasonable
ways. Such cooperation shall include the prompt reporting of all arrests
for liquor law violations in licensed liquor establishments to the
Department of Alcohol Beverage Control;
K.
Protect any person apprehended for the violation of any law and to
bring such person before a competent authority for examination and
trial;
L.
Render such accounts of the Police Department, his duties and Department
operations, as may be required by the Council, and keep records of
the Police Department and his office open to public inspection at
all reasonable times as required by law; and
M.
Before entering upon the duties of such office, the Chief of Police
shall subscribe to an oath that he will support the Constitution of
the United States and of the State of New Mexico, and ordinances of
the municipality, and that he will faithfully perform the duties of
the office upon which he is about to enter. He shall furnish a surety
bond in a principal sum to be fixed and conditioned upon the faithful
discharge of the duties of his office, and a surety bond covering
all officers of the Department.
All police officers of the Las Vegas Police Department shall:
A.
Be appointed or dismissed by the City Manager upon recommendation
by the Chief of Police and confirmed by the Mayor and Council.
B.
Have exclusive police jurisdiction on all properties of the City
of Las Vegas;
C.
Within the municipality, suppress all riots, disturbances, and breaches
of the peace;
D.
Be responsible for preventing and suppressing crime and protecting
life and property within the City's jurisdiction;
E.
Investigate all violations of the criminal laws of the state or municipality
which are called to the attention of any such officer or of which
he is aware;
F.
Diligently file a complaint or information, if the circumstances
are such as to indicate to a reasonably prudent person that such action
should be taken;
G.
Cooperate with and assist the Attorney General, District Attorney
and City Attorney, or other prosecutor, if any, in all reasonable
ways. Such cooperation shall include the prompt reporting of all arrests
for liquor law violations in licensed liquor establishments to the
Department of Alcohol Beverage Control;
H.
To protect any person apprehended for the violation of any law and
to bring such person before a competent authority for examination
and trial;
I.
Enforce and follow regulations, policies and procedures set forth
by the City Manager, or the Chief of Police;
J.
Observe the condition of the streets, sidewalks, alleys of the City
and of any obstruction, nuisance, danger or impediments therein, and
take necessary measures to remove or abate the same; and
K.
Be commissioned by the Chief of Police and the Mayor. Before entering
upon the duties of his/her office, each police officer shall take
and subscribe to an oath that he/she will support the Constitution
and laws of the United States and State of New Mexico and the ordinances
of the municipality, and that he/she will faithfully perform the duties
of that office upon which he/she is about to enter.
The Chief of Police shall prescribe the uniform to be worn by
Police Department police officers.
It shall be the duty of all persons, when called upon by any
City police officer, to promptly aid and assist such officer in the
discharge of his/her duties.
The Chief of Police may, in his discretion, upon request of
the Chief of Police or person exercising the functions thereof in
any other jurisdiction, assign police officers under his control together
with such equipment as he shall deem to be proper, to perform temporary
duty in the requesting jurisdiction.
The Mayor may, upon any emergency, riot, pestilence, invasion
or at any time he shall deem it necessary for the peace, good order
or health of the municipality, order the Chief of Police to appoint
reserve police officers for a specified time, not exceeding two days,
without the approval of the Council. He may also, with approval of
a majority of the City Council, order the Chief of Police to appoint
such number of reserve police officers as may be agreed upon by the
Council, to serve upon days of election, public celebrations and holidays,
and said reserve police officers shall have such limited powers as
shall be granted by the Chief of Police, during the time for which
they may be appointed, such powers not to exceed those of other police
officers, and such reserve officers shall be directly responsible
to the Chief of Police.
Any person desiring the services of a special police officer
in or about his property or place of business, upon agreeing to defray
all expenses of maintenance of such special police officer, shall
apply for the services of a special police officer to the Chief of
Police who shall have the authority to authorize or deny the request.
Special police officers of the City of Las Vegas assigned to special
services to provide security shall be police officers of the New Mexico
Law Enforcement Academy and will be directly responsible to the Chief
of Police. It shall be unlawful for any police officer to wear his
badge or shield when he is not performing the duties for which he
was employed unless this is done so with the express permission of
the Chief of Police.
