[Adopted 11-12-1952 by Ord. No. 39 (Ch. 96, Art. I, of the 1990 Code)]
[Amended 3-27-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-14; 4-10-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-23]
A.
There shall be and hereby is established
a Police Department for the City of Vineland which shall consist of
such number of superior officers and patrolmen as are hereinafter
set forth and consistent with the annual budget of the City of Vineland.
This subsection is intended to ratify the existence and operation
of the Police Department which has historically operated within and
served the City of Vineland and to satisfy statutory requirements
of the enabling legislation as amended.
B.
The Police Department shall preserve the
public peace; protect life and property; detect, arrest and prosecute
offenders of the laws of the State of New Jersey and the ordinances
of the City of Vineland; direct and control traffic; provide attendance
and protection during emergencies; provide appearances in court; cooperate
with all other law enforcement agencies; and provide training for
the efficiency of its members and officers.
C.
The Police Force shall consist of the following
police officers in the following descending ranks and order of authority:
[Amended 10-9-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-52]
D.
The number of Police Captains, Lieutenants,
Sergeants and police officers appointed in accordance with this article
shall further be determined by the Mayor with the advice of the Director
of Public Safety and provided the funds for the positions are certified
by the Chief Finance Officer of the City of Vineland, but in no event
shall there be more positions than as established in accordance herewith.
E.
The powers, functions and duties of the
members of the Police Force shall be as currently prescribed by the
City of Vineland Police Department Rules and Regulations Manual and
as are generally set forth herein.
[Amended 11-9-1976 by Ord. No. 1046]
It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police
to cause public peace to be preserved and to see that the police officers
are prompt and faithful in the discharge of their duties. He shall,
whenever any violation of the laws of this state or of the ordinances
of this City comes to his knowledge, cause the requisite complaint
to be made and see that the evidence is procured for the prosecution
of the offender. He shall obey and cause the police officers under
him to obey the police rules and shall, in the case of riots or insurrections,
take command, in person, of the police officers and direct their movements
and operations. Subject to the supervision of the Chief of Police,
the Department shall maintain records, registers, books and reports
concerning the affairs and operations of the Department. The Chief
of Police shall be responsible for the efficiency, general conduct
and good order of the Police Department and shall receive all complaints
made against any police officer.
[Added 10-9-2018 by Ord.
No. 2018-52[1]]
The Deputy Police Chief shall assist the Police Chief in management
and discipline of the Department and shall perform all of the duties
of Chief of Police in his or her absence. The Deputy Police Chief,
among other duties, shall give assignments and instructions to subordinate
members of the Department, provide them with needed advice/assistance
when difficult/unusual problems arise, checks the work of subordinate
personnel to assure proper procedures are followed, that reasonable
standards of workmanship, conduct and output are maintained and that
desired police objectives are achieved. The Deputy Police Chief shall
take the lead in establishing and maintaining helpful, cooperative
relations with civic, recreation and business organizations, school/court
officers, police authorities in other jurisdictions, and others interested
in maintenance of law and order.
[Amended 8-9-1966 by Ord. No. 584; 11-9-1976 by Ord. No. 1046; 5-22-2001 by Ord. No.
2001-33; 8-27-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-55; 10-9-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-52]
The Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants and patrol officers of
the Police Department shall severally perform the duties imposed upon
them, respectively, by ordinances of the City of Vineland and the
rules and regulations of the Department. During the temporary absence
of the Chief of Police and the Deputy Chief of Police, the Chief of
Police shall appoint one of the Captains to exercise all powers and
duties of the Chief of Police. In the event of the permanent absence
or incapacitation of the Chief of Police, the Deputy Chief of Police
shall exercise all of the powers and duties of the Chief of Police
pending the appointment of a Chief of Police by the Mayor which shall
be with the advice and consent of City Council.
The several policemen, when on duty, shall preserve
order, peace and quiet and promptly report to the Chief of Police
all violations of the laws and ordinances. They shall have power to
arrest, without warrant, all persons in the act of violating any law
or ordinance or in aiding or abetting in any such violation and shall
arrest all persons found under suspicious circumstances and shall
take all such persons so arrested to the City jail. They shall have
power and authority within the City to serve and execute warrants
and other processes for the apprehension and commitment of persons
charged with or held for examination or trial or taken in execution
for the commission of any crime or misdemeanor for the violation of
any law or ordinance and, while executing or serving or assisting
in the execution or serving of any such warrant or process and while
in the performance of their duties as peace officers, they shall be
and hereby are vested with and shall have all the powers and authority
conferred on constables at common law and by the laws of this state.
The officers and patrolmen of the Department
shall not engage in any other business which may draw their attention
from the public service or make them unfit for their duties and shall
not absent themselves from duty without permission from the Chief
of Police. The policemen shall usually be employed in regular service,
but the Chief of Police, whenever in his opinion the public service
requires it, may detail any number of policemen for any special or
particular duty connected with the police service and may require
the policemen to do duty at any time of the day or night.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 127-9,
Tenure; § 127-10, Reports, as amended; § 127-11,
Pursuit of criminals; and § 127-12, Uniforms, guns and equipment,
which immediately followed this section, were repealed 11-14-1989
by Ord. No. 89-76. In addition, original § 127-13, Ranks
of the regular police, as amended, which also followed this section,
was repealed 11-9-1976 by Ord. No. 1046. [1968 Code citations.]
Each of the regular policemen shall devote all
of his time to the duties of his office and shall be vigilant in detecting
and arresting all offenders against any City ordinance or any law
of the state within the City and in preserving the public peace and
protecting the rights of persons and property and, when on duty, shall
wear such dress or badge as the Director may designate.
[Amended 1-9-1973 by Ord. No. 879; 11-9-1976 by Ord. No. 1046]
The Chief of Police shall have the power to
designate and assign members of the Police Department to perform the
duties of detective work for such periods of time and on such occasions
as he may from time to time determine.
[Amended 11-14-1989 by Ord. No. 89-76]
Any member of the Police Department may be suspended,
removed, fined or reduced in rank for incapacity, misconduct or disobedience
of rules and regulations as provided by N.J.S.A. 40A:14-147.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 127-17,
Pay withheld during suspension, which immediately followed this section,
was repealed 11-9-1976 by Ord. No. 1046. Original § 127-18,
Charges against members of the Police Department, as amended, which
also followed this section, was repealed 11-14-1989 by Ord. No. 89-76.
[1968 Code citations.]
[Amended 11-14-1989 by Ord. No. 89-76]
Each member of the Police Department shall be
presented with a printed copy of the rules and regulations of the
Police Department as promulgated by the Director of Public Safety.
Such rules shall show what his duties shall be on all occasions or
upon his being apprised of the violation of the provisions of any
of the ordinances of the City of Vineland and also what particular
provision of any ordinance or ordinances it is his duty to see enforced,
and any neglect by any member of the Police Department to carry out
each and every rule and regulation or order as aforesaid shall be
held to be sufficient cause for his dismissal from the Department.
[Amended 11-14-1989 by Ord. No. 89-76]
The aforesaid ordinances and rules and regulations
to be promulgated by the Director of Public Safety shall be printed
and filed in the office of the City Clerk and shall be binding upon
all police officers and members of the Department.
