[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Beacon 1-17-1972 as Art. II of Ch. 22 of the 1972 Code of Ordinances.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Salaries and compensation — See Ch. 61.
The Police Department of the City shall consist
of a Chief, necessary Sergeants and patrolmen.
The Chief shall be the head executive of the
Police Department; the Sergeants and the several policemen or patrolmen
shall be subordinate to him. It shall be his duty to cause the public
peace and good order to be preserved and at all times to enforce all
laws and ordinances. He shall, upon knowledge of any violation of
law or ordinance, cause the requisite and proper complaint to be made
and procure the necessary evidence for the successful prosecution
of the offender or offenders. He shall obey and cause the members
of the Police Department to obey the rules and regulations prescribed
by the Mayor and the ordinances of the City Council. He shall be responsible
for the efficiency, general conduct and good order of the Department,
and he shall promptly report to the Mayor, in writing, each complaint
made to him against an officer. It shall be the duty of the Chief
of Police to keep a register of the number of days and parts of days
actually served on regular duty by each member of the force and weekly
to certify such time so served.
The Sergeants of Police shall severally perform
the duties imposed upon them by the rules, orders and regulations
prescribed by the Mayor, the ordinances of the City Council and the
police rules. The Sergeants, in the absence of the Chief of Police,
shall have general charge of the police office, station house and
of the force and shall have the power and shall perform the duties
of the Chief of Police so far as the same have been delegated to them.
The several members of the Police Department,
when on duty as such, shall devote their time and attention solely
to the discharge of the duty of their stations according to the regulations
of the Department and the police rules. It shall be their duty to
preserve order, peace and quiet and enforce all laws and ordinances
throughout the City. They shall not engage in any business which may
draw their attention from police service or unfit them for the duties
required of them, and they shall not absent themselves from duty without
permission, in writing, from the Chief. They may be employed by the
Mayor or Chief of Police in any public service, at any time, which
the Mayor or Chief of Police may deem necessary, whether day or night.
All members of the Police Department are hereby empowered to arrest
all persons violating the ordinances, laws or police regulations of
the City, where such violations are committed in the presence of such
officers.
In cases of emergency, the Mayor may appoint
such additional policemen or patrolmen for temporary service as he
may deem necessary for the good of the City, and the policemen so
appointed shall have and exercise all the powers and perform the duties
of policemen in the City and shall be entitled to such compensation
as may be fixed by the City Council.
The powers of policemen may be vested in persons
appointed by the Mayor without remuneration by the City for special
duty.
[Amended 8-6-2012 by L.L. No. 18-2012; 11-17-2014 by L.L. No. 14-2014]
See § 31-13 of the City Code for ordinances relating to the appointment and authority of the Fire Police.
[Amended 3-2-2009 by L.L. No. 7-2009; 2-21-2012 by L.L. No. 3-2012]
A.
Police officers
shall be citizens of the United States and shall not have a record
of conviction for a crime.
B.
No person
shall be appointed a police officer unless he or she is a resident
of the City of Beacon or resides no more than 30 miles from the nearest
boundary line of the City at the time of his or her appointment.
C.
All active
members of the Police Department shall be residents of the City of
Beacon or reside no more than 30 miles from the nearest boundary line
of the City, except for the Chief of Police, whose location of residency
from the City shall be at the Mayor’s discretion, subject to
the consent of the Council.
A.
Police officers shall be appointed pursuant to the
Civil Service Law.
B.
When a vacancy shall occur in the office of Chief
of Police, Captain of Police, Lieutenants of Police, Detective Sergeants,
Sergeants of Police, detectives and patrolmen, or when additional
patrolmen are to be appointed, as soon as practicable, the Civil Service
Board of Dutchess County shall hold an examination for the offices
of Chief of Police, Captain of Police, Lieutenants of Police, Detective
Sergeant, Sergeant of Police and patrolmen, when additional patrolmen
are to be appointed, and certify the results thereto to the Mayor.
The Mayor, with consent of the City Council of the City of Beacon,
shall appoint from such lists the Chief of Police, Captain of Police,
Lieutenants of Police, Detective Sergeants, Sergeants of Police, detectives
and patrolmen, who shall hold office until removed or as hereinafter
provided.
[Amended 9-4-1984 by L.L. No. 2-1984]
C.
Salaries.
(1)
The minimum salary of the Chief of Police shall be
$9,500 per year, and there shall be one increment of a minimum of
$750 per year after one year's service in rank.
(2)
The minimum salary of Lieutenant of Police shall be
$7,900 per year, and there shall be two increments of a minimum of
$300 per year after the first and second year in rank.
(3)
The minimum salary of the Detective Lieutenant shall
be $8,300 per year, and there shall be two increments of a minimum
of $300 per year after the first and second year in rank.
(4)
The minimum salary of Sergeants of Police shall be
$7,400 per year, and there shall be two increments of a minimum of
$200 per year after the first and second year in rank.
(5)
The minimum salary of Detective Sergeant shall be
$7,850 per year, and there shall be two increments of a minimum of
$175 per year after the first and second year in rank.
(6)
The minimum salary of the patrolmen shall be $5,900
per year, with annual increments of $400 payable on completion of
the first year of service, $300 payable on the completion of the second
and third years of service and $200 payable on completion of the fourth
and fifth years of service.
(7)
The minimum salary of detective shall be $7,400 per
year, and there shall be two increments of a minimum of $175 per year
after the first and second year in rank.
(8)
In figuring the foregoing salaries and increments,
credit shall be given for temporary service and to interrupted service
from the first day of employment in such department or rank.
D.
Leave.
(1)
Each member of the Police and Fire Department shall
be entitled to five personal leave days for the transaction of personal
business.
(2)
Each member of the Police Department and Fire Department
shall be entitled to eight paid holidays, and, in the event that such
holiday falls upon the day which is a regularly scheduled day off
for such employee, then, in that event, he shall receive equivalent
time off or payment in lieu thereof.
(4)
The number of days each employee of the Police and
Fire Department may accumulate for sick leave shall be 150.
E.
There shall be as many patrolmen as the City Council
shall authorize.
[Amended 3-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
All members and employees of the Police Department
shall take the constitutional oath of office and file the same with
the Administrator before entering upon their duties.
All police officers shall wear police badges
when on duty.
The City Council shall fix compensation to be
paid to the members of the Police Department and to all other employees
of the Police Department and may from time to time alter and change
such compensation. Each member of the Police Department shall be paid
weekly the compensation due to him.
Members of the Police Department sent out of
the City on public business shall be allowed all necessary expenses
upon their submitting a sworn statement of expenses incurred, approved
by the Mayor.
No member of the Police Department shall be
entitled to any witness or other fee or compensation for services
rendered while acting and drawing pay as a member of the Police Department,
other than regular compensation fixed by the City Council and such
allowances as may. from time to time, be made for extra services and
expenses.
[Amended 3-16-1992 by L.L. No. 2-1992]
The witness and other fees to which members
of the Police Department would otherwise be entitled according to
law in City Court cases shall be taxed by the Court and when collected
shall be paid to the City Clerk.
Any regular member of the Police Department
may be a Deputy Sheriff of the County of Dutchess. However, all fees
to which such member may be entitled as Deputy Sheriff shall be turned
over to the City Judge for the City, and the City Judge shall examine
and audit all such accounts for the City.
A.
Any police officer who shall neglect or refuse to
perform any duty required of him by the ordinances of the City or
the police rules or who shall, in the discharge of his official duties,
be guilty of any fraud, extortion, oppression, favoritism, partiality
or willful wrong or injustice shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding
$50 for each offense.
B.
The Mayor shall have the power to suspend any member
of the Police Department for cause. In all such cases, the officer
suspended shall be notified in writing of the charges against him
and of such suspension, within 24 hours thereafter, and shall be allowed
opportunity to be heard in his own defense. Whenever an officer is
suspended, as aforesaid, he shall immediately deliver over to the
Chief of Police, or other person who shall deliver the notice, his
badge or official emblem or other articles of property appertaining
to his office and shall immediately cease to exercise any function
or perform any duty of his office during suspension.
C.
It shall be the duty of the Mayor to suspend any member
of the Police Department who shall actively engage in electioneering
or other proceedings of a political character or party nature or in
any manner interfere with any election in this state, when on duty.
D.
It shall be the duty of the Mayor to entertain any
written complaint received from any person against any member of the
Police Department.
