City of Las Vegas, NM Police Department

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.

§ 26-13 Department Rules and Regulations.

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.

§ 26-14 Police Chief.

The Chief of Police shall:

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;

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;

Be responsible for the recruitment, training and commissioning of all police officers and recommendations for hiring of all Department personnel;

Execute and return all writs and processes as directed by the Municipal Judge;

Serve criminal writs and processes in any part of the county wherein the municipality is situated;

Within the municipality, suppress all riots, disturbances, and breaches of the peace;

Be responsible for police officers' actions in preventing and suppressing crime and protecting life and property;

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;

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;

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;

Protect any person apprehended for the violation of any law and to bring such person before a competent authority for examination and trial;

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

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.

§ 26-15 Police officers.

All police officers of the Las Vegas Police Department shall:

Be appointed or dismissed by the City Manager upon recommendation by the Chief of Police and confirmed by the Mayor and Council.

Have exclusive police jurisdiction on all properties of the City of Las Vegas;

Within the municipality, suppress all riots, disturbances, and breaches of the peace;

Be responsible for preventing and suppressing crime and protecting life and property within the City's jurisdiction;

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;

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;

To protect any person apprehended for the violation of any law and to bring such person before a competent authority for examination and trial;

Enforce and follow regulations, policies and procedures set forth by the City Manager, or the Chief of Police;

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

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.

§ 26-16 Uniforms.

The Chief of Police shall prescribe the uniform to be worn by Police Department police officers.

§ 26-17 Duty of citizens to aid.

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.

§ 26-18 Extraterritorial duty.

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.

§ 26-19 Reserve police.

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.

§ 26-20 Private 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.