[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Trenton 11-7-1989
as Title 3, Ch. 5 of the 1989 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Emergency management — See Ch. 42.
A.
Police Department personnel. 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,
or appointed by the Chief subject to Town Board approval.
B.
Salary; collection of fees. The Chief and the police
officers shall receive a salary or hourly compensation fixed by the Town Board
and shall not be entitled to any other compensation. All fees, bail deposits,
and other special remuneration of funds collected or received by the Department
or any of its officers shall be deposited with the Town Treasurer.
C.
Police Administrative Specialist.
(1)
The Police Administrative Specialist (Clerk) is a nonsworn
member of the Trenton Police Department. This position works under the direction
of the Chief of Police or his/her designee. The purpose of this position shall
be to prepare reports as necessary for the officers of the Department. The
Police Administrative Specialist shall also be responsible for the coordination
of court lists and their delivery to the court on a predescribed basis.
(2)
The Police Administrative Specialist shall prepare reports
as necessary in a format as directed by the officer preparing said report.
The Police Administrative Specialist shall be responsible for the good care
of all police records and shall prepare, file, and transport all records with
extreme care.
(3)
All police records are strictly confidential and shall
be kept as such.
A.
Appointment and term. The Chief of Police shall be appointed
by the Town Board and shall hold office until his resignation, retirement,
death, or removal by the Town Board for cause.
B.
Qualifications. The position of Chief of Police is a
part-time paid position. Applicants shall supply a resume as to background
and proven job experience, including formal police training (a minimum of
an associate degree in police science preferred), a minimum of five years
in a police department in a ranking officer position, and business management
experience, including but not limited to budgeting, accounting, letter writing,
marketing, and good management and people skills. The selection of a Chief
of Police will be at the discretion of the Town Board. The Board may elect
to take applications from within the Department or go outside to find a suitable
candidate for the position.
C.
Removal.
(1)
If the Chief fails to perform his/her duties as described
by this chapter or comply with the rules and regulations of appropriate governmental
authorities or agencies in connection with his/her duties as Chief of Police,
he/she may be removed from office by a majority vote of the Town Board.
(2)
The notification of removal shall be accompanied by a
written complaint prepared by the Town Board, filed by the Town Clerk, and
the Chief shall be so notified. Upon removal from active duty of the Chief,
the Town Board shall direct an officer to be in charge of the Police Department.
D.
Appeal.
(1)
Within 10 days, if the Chief so desires, he/she may file
a written request for a hearing before the Town Board, stating dates he/she
will be available for a hearing within 15 days of his/her request for a hearing.
(2)
The Town Board shall hold the hearing within 15 days
of the request for the hearing. The Chief of Police shall be notified in writing
of the date and time of such hearing. At the hearing, the Chief may present
evidence deemed necessary to deny or refute the charges prepared by the Town
Board. At the conclusion of this hearing the Town Board, by a majority vote,
shall make its decision to remove, reprimand, or clear the Chief of the charges
levied against him/her.
A.
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.
B.
The Chief shall obey all lawful written orders of the
Town Chairperson and the Town Board.
C.
The Chief shall 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/her knowledge, he/she shall cause
the requisite complaint to be made and see that the evidence is procured for
the successful prosecution of the offender.
D.
The Chief shall be solely responsible for the care and
condition of the equipment used by the Police Department.
E.
The Chief shall 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/her successor in office.
F.
The Chief shall devote his/her entire on-duty time to
official duties.
G.
The Chief shall keep an accurate and complete record
of all fees, bail deposits and any other special remuneration or funds received
by the Police 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 of Police, 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 whom 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/her and shall, within
a reasonable time, bring such person before the court having jurisdiction
thereof to be dealt with according to law.
The Town Chairperson and Supervisors shall have and exercise the powers
of peace officers and may summarily suppress any riotous or disorderly conduct
in the streets or public places of the Town.
