[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Woodruff 2-11-1986
as Ch. 4 of the 1986 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Enumerated. The Police Department shall consist of the
Chief of Police, who shall be appointed by the Town Board, and such police
officers as the Town Board may prescribe by ordinance or resolution, appointed
by the Chief subject to approval by the Town Board.
B.
Salary; collection of fees. The Chief and the police
officers shall receive a salary fixed by the Town Board and shall not be entitled
to any other compensation. All fees, bail deposits and other special remuneration
or funds collected or received by the Department or any of its officers shall
be deposited with the Town Clerk.
The Chief of Police shall possess the powers, enjoy the privileges and
be subject to the liabilities conferred and imposed by law upon marshals and
constables. The Chief of Police shall:
A.
Obey all lawful written orders of the Town Chairperson
or Town Board.
B.
Cause the public peace to be preserved and see that all
laws and ordinances of the Town and state are enforced, and whenever any violation
thereof comes to his knowledge, he shall cause the requisite complaint to
be made and see that the evidence is procured for the successful prosecution
of the offender.
C.
Be solely responsible for the care and condition of the
equipment used by his Department.
D.
Keep an accurate and complete record of all complaints,
arrests, traffic violations, convictions and dispositions of the Department.
Such records shall be open to public inspection at all reasonable times, shall
be the property of the Town and shall be turned over by the Chief of Police
to his successor in office.
E.
Devote his entire on-duty time to his official duties.
F.
Keep an accurate and complete record of all fees, bail
deposits and any other special remuneration or funds received by the Department.
Each officer of the Department shall possess the powers conferred on
marshals and constables by law and shall preserve the public peace and enforce
the laws and ordinances of the state and Town, subject to the orders, rules
and regulations of the Chief, the Town Chairperson and the Town Board.
The Chief of Police and any police officer shall arrest any person in
the Town found in the act of violating any law or ordinance of the Town or
state or aiding or abetting in such violation, and they shall arrest without
warrant any person who they have reasonable grounds to believe has violated
any law or ordinance and who will not be apprehended unless immediately arrested,
shall take any arrested person in charge and confine him and shall, within
a reasonable time, bring such person before the court having jurisdiction
thereof to be dealt with according to law.
For squad car escort of a house being moved, the owner of the house
shall pay a fee as provided in the Town Fee Schedule.[2]
[Added 1-8-1997]
A.
Property which appears to be lost, abandoned, or stolen,
discovered by officers or turned in to the Police Department by citizens,
shall be disposed of as follows:
(1)
Lost, abandoned, or stolen property will be examined
by the Police Department for identifying marks in an attempt to determine
ownership. If after examination ownership cannot be determined, the property
shall be tagged and stored in an appropriate place by the Police Department.
(2)
No police officer shall keep for his or her own use property
found or turned in during the course of duty, nor take possession of property
during off-duty hours.
(3)
The Police Department shall permit citizens to claim
lost or stolen property if they can submit sufficient proof that they are
the rightful owners. Also, any person who turns in lost property may claim
said property after 30 days if the rightful owner cannot be located.[1]
(4)
In the case of abandoned property, if the owner is located,
that person will be liable to the Town for the cost of removal and/or disposal
of said property. Prosecution under appropriate state statute or Town ordinance
may also apply.
B.
Unclaimed property shall be disposed of in the following
manner:
(1)
Pursuant to § 66.0139(2), Wis. Stats., the
Police Department may hold a sale to dispose of any property which has remained
unclaimed for a period of 30 days after having been taken into possession
by the Department, which sale shall follow the same guidelines as required
for the sale of abandoned vehicles as set down by § 342.40, Wis.
Stats.;[2]
(2)
If the property is usable for any Department operation
within the Town of Woodruff, the property need not be sold at sale but may
become the property of the Town of Woodruff;
(3)
With the express consent of the Woodruff Town Board,
such property may be donated to any legitimate charity; or
(4)
If the Police Department is unable to sell such property
at public sale as provided herein, or if the Police Chief determines such
property to hold little or no value, it may be destroyed, sold as salvage,
or otherwise disposed of in a proper manner.
C.
This section shall not prohibit any municipal employee
from exercising the same rights as any other citizen to receive any lost,
stolen, or unclaimed property as set forth herein.
