The Town Board of the Town of Orangetown, which is a first class
Town under the provisions of Article 2 of the Town Law of the State
of New York, takes cognizance of the fact that the Town of Orangetown
now maintains and operates an extensive police department. By Chapter
526 of the Laws of 1936 a special law was enacted pertaining to police
departments in towns of the first class in Rockland County. Said law
delegates to the Town Board the power and authority to make, adopt,
and enforce rules, orders and regulations for the government, discipline,
administration and disposition of the police department and of the
members thereof and to adopt and make rules and regulations for the
examination, hearing, investigation and determination of charges made
or preferred against any member or members of such police department.
It is deemed by the Town Board of the Town of Orangetown to be in
the interest of efficiency and better administrative procedure to
provide for an intra-departmental disciplinary procedure.
This local law is concerned only with the administrative procedure
involved in infractions falling within inter-departmental procedure.
All officers received copies of the actual rules and regulations of
the Orangetown Police Department upon being sworn to duty.
Upon the infraction of the rules and regulations of the Orangetown
Police Department by a member thereof below the rank of Sergeant,
the Police Chief shall inquire into the nature of such infraction
and shall determine whether the same may be heard and disposed of
informally within the Department subject to the punishment limitations
hereinafter set forth. If the Police Chief, upon appropriate inquiry,
determines that such infraction may be heard and determined within
the Police Department, then the member of the Police Department so
accused may consent to have such infraction disposed of by the Police
Chief in lieu of the other procedures set forth in the rules and regulations
as provided for in Chapter 526 of the Laws of 1936. Such consent shall
be in writing and shall be executed in the presence of the Police
Chief. Captain or one of the Lieutenants of the Department. No disciplinary
procedure pursuant to the provisions of this local law shall be conducted
if more than 30 days have expired after the discovery of the infraction
by a sergeant or higher officer of the Department.
The Police Chief shall have the power to (1) reprimand such
police officer; (2) re-assign a tour of duty of such police officer
and assign such special assignments to him as the Police Chief deems
appropriate: (3) suspend him without pay for a period not to exceed
three days; or (4) cancel vacation days to which the police officer
may otherwise be entitled to, (to be taken at the discretion of the
patrolman involved) not to exceed three days.
The Town Board of the Town of Orangetown upon written application
within 10 days after punishment by the officer so punished under this
local law shall review each and every charge disposed of in accordance
with this procedure and is hereby authorized to reduce any punishment
hereunder which is deemed excessive. Said review shall be accomplished
within 10 days after receipt of the application for review of the
Intra-Departmental Disciplinary Action.
Any title enumerated under this law is for organization purposes
only and shall not be deemed part of the text of this law.
This local law shall take effect immediately.