[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Rosendale 2-19-1975.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Police Department shall be known as the Town of Rosendale Police
Department.
The members of the Town of Rosendale Police Department, as hereinafter
provided, shall have the full powers of policemen, as provided in general
laws of the State of New York.
There shall be a Chief of Police who shall be chief of the operational
activities of the Town Police Department. He shall be appointed annually on
January 1 of each year or at the first meeting thereafter of the Board of
Police Commissioners, as hereinafter described, a majority thereof, only,
being necessary for said appointment. His term shall continue until he is
reappointed or succeeded. He shall have an annual salary as provided by the
Town Board. He shall be responsible for the planning and implementation of
all law enforcement responsibility conferred upon the members of the Department
by law. He shall maintain the records of the operations of the Police Department
and shall report at least semiannually to the Board of Police Commissioners.
He shall be the chief financial officer of the Police Department, and all
expenditures made by said Department shall have his written approval upon
a voucher stating the nature of the expense to be undertaken. He shall prepare
an annual budget, to be submitted to the Police Commissioners in the month
of September of each year and, upon approval of the budget, shall be responsible
for the operation of the Police Department within the limits of that budget.
If extraordinary or unanticipated circumstances require supplemental funds,
he shall advise the Board of Police Commissioners of the same and shall appear
before said Commissioners. He shall be the custodian of all property belonging
to the Police Department and shall take all necessary steps to maintain and
preserve the same.
There shall be the office of patrolman, which patrolman shall have the
full power of a policeman. Said patrolman shall be subject to the direction
of the Chief of Police. Said patrolman shall be appointed by the Police Commissioners,
in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Law, Town Law and other
appropriate provisions of law as required. Said patrolman shall be paid on
an hourly basis as determined and approved by the Town Board.
Upon taking office, the Police Chief and all patrolmen shall be given
and sign the oath of office to be filed with the Town Clerk.
Members of the police force, except the Board of Police Commissioners,
shall act as police officers of the Town of Rosendale whenever they are acting
officially within the territorial limits of such municipality. They shall
enforce all federal, state and local laws and will be responsible for the
control of traffic within the municipality.
The Town will fund the Police Department on an annual budget basis beginning
in January of each year. To effectuate this, the Police Chief and the Board
of Police Commissioners must recommend, and the Town Board must approve, the
proposed police budget in the time included in the next year's Town budget.
The Town shall from time to time pay salaries and other fixed expenses. Other
expenses shall be paid by the Town only after the voucher is approved by the
Police Chief and the Board of Police Commissioners.
All equipment purchased by the Police Department will be the property
of the Rosendale Police Department and the Town of Rosendale. The Police Chief
and members of the force shall have custody of vehicles and equipment and
shall be responsible to maintain the same and keep an accurate inventory thereof.
Such inventory shall be available upon request of the Board of Police Commissioners
or the Town Board.
The Board of Police Commissioners and Police Chief shall obtain a bond
as trustees of the police property.
The Town Board of the Town of Rosendale does hereby establish a Board
of Police Commissioners for the Town of Rosendale, which Board shall number
three Commissioners and which Board shall include the Supervisor of the Town
of Rosendale and two others who shall be appointed by the Town Board of the
Town of Rosendale, upon the recommendation of the Supervisor of the Town of
Rosendale. Said Commissioners, throughout the term of their office, shall
be owners of record of real property and electors of the Town of Rosendale
and shall serve without compensation and at the pleasure of the Town Board.
Such Board of Police Commissioners shall have and exercise all the powers
relative to police matters conferred upon the Town Board pursuant to Article
10 of the Town Law. Said Commissioners may not simultaneously hold an elected
position, except that of Supervisor, or appointed position within the Town
of Rosendale, as a Town Official; and further may not be a current employee
of the Town of Rosendale; and may not be affiliated, in any manner whatsoever,
directly or indirectly, with any federal, state or local police commission
or department.
