There shall be a police department for the town, the head of which shall be a chief of police.
(Ordinance 416-07 adopted 2/20/07; 2004 Code, sec. 9.301)
The chief of police of the town shall be a sworn peace officer under the laws of the state and shall be appointed by the town council.
(Ordinance 416-07 adopted 2/20/07; 2004 Code, sec. 9.302; Ordinance 587-15, sec. 3, adopted 8/18/15; Ordinance 774-24 adopted 9/30/2024)
The police department, after approval by the town council, shall be composed of the chief of police and such other positions including, but not limited to, officers, patrolmen and/or other employees as may be from time to time authorized by the town council. The chief of police shall have the authority to appoint or offer employment with the advice and consent of the town council. In the event a position in the department becomes vacant within the fiscal year, the position may be filled, upon approval by the town council, provided that the salary and benefit packages for additional personnel shall not exceed the current fiscal year budget appropriation unless otherwise authorized by the town council.
(Ordinance 416-07 adopted 2/20/07; Ordinance 424-07 adopted 5/15/07; 2004 Code, sec. 9.303; Ordinance 559-13, sec. 2, adopted 11/19/13; Ordinance 729-22 adopted 4/19/22; Ordinance 774-24 adopted 9/30/2024)
The chief of police shall be authorized to establish reasonable rules and regulations governing the policies and personnel of the police department and the operation of the same.
(Ordinance 416-07 adopted 2/20/07; 2004 Code, sec. 9.304)
It shall be the duty of the police department to enforce the ordinances of the town and the laws of the state and such other laws as are properly enforced by a local police department.
(Ordinance 416-07 adopted 2/20/07; 2004 Code, sec. 9.305)
(a)
Established.
A police reserve force for the town is hereby established by the town council.
(b)
Appointment.
Members of the police reserve force shall be appointed by the police chief, and such appointment shall be approved by the town council. Members of the police reserve force shall serve as peace officers during the actual discharge of official duties. Members of the police reserve force serve at the police chief’s discretion.
(c)
Qualifications, standards of training, and size of police reserve force.
The qualifications and standards of training for members of the police reserve force shall be the same as for the town’s regular police officers. The size of the police reserve force shall not exceed two times the number of the town’s regular police officers.
(d)
Authority to carry weapons.
No person appointed to the police reserve force of the town may carry a weapon or otherwise act as a peace officer unless and until that person has been approved to do so by the town council. After a person so appointed to the police reserve force has been approved by the town council to carry weapons, that person may carry a weapon only when authorized to do so by the police chief, and only when discharging official duties as a peace officer.
(e)
On-call service.
Members of the police reserve force may be called into service at any time the police chief considers it necessary to have additional officers to preserve the peace and enforce the law.
(f)
Compensation.
Members of the police reserve force will serve without compensation.
(g)
Medical coverage in the line of duty.
Hospital and medical assistance will be provided to a member of the police reserve force who sustains injury in the course of performing official duties in the same manner as provided by the governing body for a regular police officer employee; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be construed to authorize or permit a member of the police reserve force to become eligible for participation in any pension fund created by state statute to which regular town police officers may become a member by payroll deductions or otherwise.
(h)
Reserve officers supplementary only.
Reserve police officers shall act only in a supplementary capacity to the town’s regular police officers and shall in no case assume the full-time duties of the town’s regular police officers without first complying with all the requirements for regular police officers.
(Ordinance 708-21 adopted 6/15/21)