(a) Policemen.
The policemen of the city shall at all times preserve order,
peace and quiet throughout the city and shall vigilantly guard and
protect the inhabitants and property of the city. It shall be the
duty of policemen to see that a free passage for persons, animals
and vehicles is at all times preserved on the streets, sidewalks and
other public places in the city, to protect the rights of persons
and property, and to assist, advise and protect children, females,
emigrants, passengers and strangers.
(b) Chief
of police.
The chief of police shall, in person or by
deputy, attend upon the corporation court of the city while such court
is in session, and shall promptly and faithfully execute all writs
and process issued from such court. He shall have like power, with
the sheriff of the county, to execute warrants. He shall be active
in quelling riots, disorder and disturbance of the peace within the
corporate limits of the city and shall take into custody all persons
so offending against the peace of the city. He shall have authority
to take suitable and sufficient bail for the appearance before the
corporation court of any person charged with an offense against the
ordinances or laws of the city as provided in this code. It shall
be his duty to arrest, with or without warrant, all violators of the
public peace, and all who obstruct or interfere with him in the execution
of the duties of his office or who shall be guilty of any disorderly
conduct or disturbance whatsoever. To prevent a breach of the peace
or preserve quiet and good order, he shall have authority to close
any theater, ballroom or other place of public resort. In the prevention
and suppression of crime and arrest of offenders, he shall have, possess
and execute like power, authority and jurisdiction as the sheriff
of the county. He shall perform such other duties and possess such
other powers and authority as the city council may, by ordinance,
require and confer, or as the city manager may require.
(1950 Code, Ch. 19, sec. 2; 1957
Code, sec. 15-1)
All policemen of the city, in the execution of their duties,
shall be vested with and have, within their jurisdiction, all the
power and authority conferred upon peace officers by the laws of the
state.
(1950 Code, Ch. 19, sec. 3; 1957
Code, sec. 15-2)
The chief of police and the policemen of the city shall have
the authority to arrest, with or without warrant, all persons found
in suspicious places, or under circumstances which reasonably show
that such persons have been guilty of some felony or breach of the
peace, or threaten or are about to commit some offense against the
laws of the state or ordinances of the city.
1957 Code, sec. 15-3)
(1950 Code, Ch. 19, sec. 4; Ordinance 409, sec. 1, adopted 2/22/55; Ordinance 86-83, sec. 1, adopted 12/9/86)
The chief of police and policemen of the city shall have, in
the execution of their duties, in arresting without warrant any person
accused or suspected of crime or in the suppression of any violation
of law or ordinance, power and authority to require the aid of any
citizen or bystander. Any person failing to assist any policeman when
called upon to render aid under the provisions of this section shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(1950 Code, Ch. 19, sec. 9; 1957
Code, sec. 15-4)
In all cases where any person is arrested, with or without a
warrant, for the violation of any law or ordinance, the officer making
such arrest shall forthwith take such person before the city judge
for trial if within the hours for holding court of the city, or, if
the court is not in session, to some person designated by the city
judge to take bail for the appearance of such offender before the
court. If bail is not arranged, the arresting officer shall commit
the person so arrested to the city jail, there to be securely kept
until the court shall be in session, when the arrested person shall
forthwith be taken before the corporation court for trial.
(1950 Code, Ch. 19, sec. 5; 1957
Code, sec. 15-5)
It shall be the duty of all policemen of the city, and they
are hereby authorized, to execute and make returns of all process
and orders issued to them by the mayor or other officers having authority
to issue the same.
(1950 Code, Ch. 19, sec. 6; 1957
Code, sec. 15-6)
It will be the responsibility of the chief of police to enforce all regulations as set out in chapter
2 of the city code.
(Ordinance 94-39, sec. 2, adopted 5/24/94; Ordinance 97-13, sec. 1, adopted 4/8/97; 1957
Code, sec. 15-7)
(a) Every
person who shall willfully or intentionally obstruct or interfere
with any policeman while such policeman is engaged in the execution
of his duties shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) This
section does not apply to a person who is merely exercising his or
her right of freedom of speech or expression and who in the exercise
of that right does not threaten immediate danger to the police or
to legitimate law enforcement endeavors.
(1950 Code, Ch. 19, sec. 8; Ordinance 86-83, sec. 2, adopted 12/9/86; 1957 Code, sec. 15-8)
(a) Use
of force.
The chief of police, or any police officer,
may, in order to restrain or control prisoners, use such reasonable
force as does not amount to cruel or unusual punishment.
(b) Guard
to be present at all hours; sexes to be separated.
There
shall be someone in charge of the prison at all hours ready to receive
the prisoners. Male and female prisoners shall be kept separate.
(c) Feeding
and care of prisoners.
It shall be the duty of the person
in charge of the prisoners to see that all prisoners get their meals
on time, and are well cared for.
(d) Outsiders
conversing with prisoners.
It shall be unlawful for any
person outside the city prison to hold any conversation with any of
the inmates thereof without first obtaining permission of the jail
supervisor or person in charge of prisoners. Anyone thus offending
shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).
(e) Working
prisoners; control of prisoners.
All persons who shall
hereafter be convicted of any offense whatever in the corporation
court of the city who shall make default in the payment of any and
all fines, charges and penalties that may be imposed by such judgment
of conviction are hereby defined and shall be designated as city prisoners
of the city, and may volunteer to do manual labor on any property
or premises of the city, wherever the same may be situated or located,
at the discretion of the chief of police and subject to rules and
regulations pertaining thereto. Said prisoners shall at all times
be in charge of and under the control, direction and instructions
of the peace officers of the city, and when said prisoners are not
at actual labor they shall be confined in the prison house or jail
or holdover situated in the city, as may be most convenient, and shall
at all times be under the rules and regulations adopted by the governing
body of the city for such prisoners.
(f) Credit
on fines.
All prisoners, as that term is hereinabove
defined, shall be allowed the sum of eight dollars ($8.00) per day
for all labor performed by them, which said sum shall be credited
upon the amount of the fine and penalty imposed upon such prisoner
as shown by the judgment of conviction of same; provided that the
city shall furnish to said prisoner, while in its custody, a reasonable
and sufficient amount of wholesome food for the proper nourishment
and sustenance of said prisoner, and such medical attention and drugs
and medicine as may be necessary for the purpose of treatment and
care of said prisoner while in the custody of the city. All such prisoners
who do not volunteer for such labor shall be credited five dollars
($5.00) per day on their fines.
(g) Escape.
It shall be unlawful for any person, while in custody as a prisoner
of the city, either awaiting trial or having been convicted, to escape
from such custody, or attempt to escape therefrom, without having
first been duly discharged from such custody aforesaid. Any person
violating this subsection shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than fifty dollars
($50.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).
(Ordinance 62-65, sec. 1, adopted 7/10/62; Ordinance 69-29, sec. 1, adopted 4/22/69; 1957
Code, sec. 15-16)
There shall be a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) charged by the
police department for a person to have a record of fingerprints made
or a record of the fingerprints of a child or ward of the person made.
However, these fees shall not apply to fingerprint records made during
police department community relations functions and special events.
(Ordinance 97-03, sec. 1, adopted 2/11/97; 1957 Code, sec. 2-118)
Funeral escorts shall be provided by off-duty police officers
in accordance with guidelines established by the police chief. Rates
for such escorts shall be flat hourly fees based on average rates
of overtime police officer pay and set by the city manager.
(Ordinance 97-51, sec. 1, adopted 12/9/97; Ordinance 2006-61 adopted 10/24/06; 1957 Code,
sec. 2-119)