6.20.1 The Chief of Police and policemen shall have all the
powers, duties and authority in criminal cases possessed by peace
officers under the general laws of the state, and shall have the same
power, duties and authority as peace officers in civil cases and proceedings
so far as serving and executing all processes or papers in behalf
of the city.
6.20.2 The Mayor, Councilmen, the Chief of Police and policemen
shall also have power and authority, respectively, to arrest any person
or persons found by them violating any of the penal ordinances or
laws of the city, and to take such person or persons before a City
Judge; and on a complaint being filed, they shall be dealt with the
same as if such person or persons had been arrested upon warrant theretofore
duly issued by a City Judge. It shall be the duty of the Chief of
Police and policemen, respectively, to enforce any and all of the
penal ordinances and laws of the city.
The Chief of Police shall have the power and it shall be his
duty to enforce all rules and regulations of the Board relating to
the Police Department; and to perform such other duties as may be
prescribed by law, regulations of the Board, or ordinance of the Common
Council. He shall submit to the Board a written report on the state
of the department by the last day of January in each year. This report
shall include such information as the Board may prescribe, and such
other information as he may deem proper. He shall also have the power
and discretion to suspend from duty for not more than 15 days any
member of the Police Department, and shall report the same in writing
with his reason therefor to the board for its action.
6.24.1 A disorderly person under any of the provisions of this
charter is subject to arrest without process. A member of the Police
Department or a peace officer may arrest a disorderly person without
process. An officer making an arrest under this section shall immediately
take the person arrested before the City Judge having jurisdiction,
if such magistrate can be found; if not, he may detain the person
arrested until such magistrate be found, not exceeding 24 hours.
6.24.2 Unless the violation complained of is also a crime subject
to indictment, the City Judge shall proceed forthwith to hear, try
and determine such complaint, or may adjourn the hearing not to exceed
five days, unless the defendant consents to a longer time, and in
the meantime commit the offender to the city jail or county jail until
such day, or suffer him to go at large on executing a bond for his
appearance on the adjourned day.
6.24.3 On conviction, the City Judge shall impose the penalty
prescribed by the ordinance, and may also require the defendant to
pay the cost of the proceeding. Unless the penalty and costs, if imposed,
be paid upon the conviction, the magistrate shall commit the defendant
to the county jail for a term not exceeding one day for each dollar
of the penalty imposed. If the violation of an ordinance constitutes
disorderly conduct and also renders a person violating such ordinances
liable to penalty in civil action, the conviction of disorderly conduct
on account of such conduct shall be a bar to the recovery of the penalty
in the civil action, and the recovery of the judgment for a penalty
of a civil action shall be a bar in the prosecution for disorderly
conduct.
6.26.1 No member of the police force or any special policeman
shall receive any present or reward for any service rendered, or to
be rendered, unless with the consent of the Board, such consent to
be given in writing and filed with the City Clerk. Any one of their
number who shall receive any fee or reward in violation of this section
shall be reprimanded, fined, suspended or dismissed by the Board.
6.26.2 No member shall be entitled to receive for his own use
any fees for the services performed by him in cases of criminal nature,
arising under the provisions of this act or for violations thereof;
but each one shall be paid his actual disbursements in taking criminals
to any place to which they shall be sentenced, and his actual traveling
expenses in making arrests on warrants when he shall have traveled
more than a mile outside of the city limits to perform the service.
6.26.3 Each officer shall make a daily report to the Chief of
Police of all criminal business done by him, which by law is a charge
upon the County of Warren. The Chief shall keep a record of all such
reports, and shall, on the first day of November in each year, make
a detailed statement of such services rendered during the year, which
statement shall be delivered to the City Clerk, who shall present
the same to the Board of Supervisors for payment. All orders or warrants
for the payment of such claims shall be made payable to the City Treasurer.
The actual traveling expenses allowed by this section shall be audited
and paid as other charges against the Board.
6.26.4 In cases arising under the local laws, ordinances or
police laws or regulations of the city, where judgments are in favor
of the city or where the city would be entitled to judgment, such
fees as are allowed by law for the services of policemen shall be
included in such judgment.
6.26.5 The Board, upon the recommendation of the Common Council,
may offer rewards for the detection or apprehension of the perpetrator
of any crime committed within the city, to be paid to the informant
on the conviction of the criminal.
6.26.6 Resolving petty cash fund. [Added 2-29-1968 by
Local Law No. 1-1968]
A petty cash fund in the sum of $200 is herewith established
and shall be available in advance to members of the Police Department
in such amount as may be authorized by the Chief of the Department
for travel expenses and expenses involving the transportation of prisoners,
and for expenses incurred or to be incurred in investigating and obtaining
information concerning alleged crimes, subject, however, to the following:
(a) An itemized and verified accounting for such sums withdrawn
shall be made or certified bills submitted for all such expenditures
to the Chief of the Department.
(b) Such expenditures shall be audited by the Common Council
of the City of Glens Falls, and, upon approval, such petty cash fund
shall be reimbursed from the appropriate budgetary item.
(c) Any such expenditure which is disallowed shall be in the
personal liability of the police officer who obtained such advance
funds, and such officer shall forthwith reimburse such petty cash
fund in the amount of such disallowance. If such reimbursement has
not been made by the time of the first payment of salary to such officer
after disallowance of such bill, the amount of such disallowance shall
be withheld by the City Treasurer from such salary payment, and, if
necessary, subsequent salary payments, and paid into such petty cash
fund until an amount equal to the amount of such disallowance has
been repaid to such petty cash fund.
(d) The petty cash fund shall be administered by the Chief of
Police, and the City Controller may require an accounting of the moneys
in such fund at any time. [Amended 7-20-2000 by L.L. No. 5-2000]
The Common Council shall provide and keep in order the jail
in the City Hall in said city, and such other necessary accommodations
as shall be required for the use of said police force. The Board of
Public Safety may employ some suitable and competent person to serve
as jailor at a compensation to be fixed by it.
It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police, in the month of
January in each year, to cause to be published once a week for three
weeks, in the official newspaper, a list of articles then remaining
unclaimed in the Police Department, and which have been in its possession
for a period of one year, with notice that unless claimed by the owner
with satisfactory proof of such ownership before a day therein mentioned,
the same will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder at a
time and place named in said notice. At the time and place named in
said notice, all such property remaining unclaimed shall be sold at
public auction by the Chief of Police; and the avails thereof, after
deducting all expenses of sale, he shall pay to the City Treasurer.