Newtown CT Democratic Town Committee

2-110 BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS

(a) There shall be elected a Board of Police Commissioners composed of 5 members who shall serve 4 year terms with the number to be elected in each regular Town election to be determined by the number of members whose terms expire on or before the December 1st after the election. The Board of Police Commissioners shall maintain a Police Department in the Town and shall appoint a Chief of Police. No member of the Board of Police Commissioners shall be a member or officer of the Police Department, the Chief of Police, a special constable, or a member of any other Board or Commission, nor shall the member hold any elective office of the Town except as provided in subsection (e) of Section 3-10 of this Charter.

(b) The Board of Police Commissioners shall, subject to budgetary limitations, have all of the powers now or hereafter granted to boards of police commissioners by the General Statutes of Connecticut, and, in addition to and not in limitation thereof, shall have the power to:

(1) Make all the regulations necessary to organize and maintain the Police Department including, without limitation, the establishment of ranks within said Department and the duties and responsibilities of each such rank;

(2) Appoint, promote, suspend and remove members and officers of the Police Department in accordance with said regulations.

(c) No regulation enacted by the Board of Police Commissioners shall become effective until a copy of said regulation has been filed with the Newtown Town Clerk.

(d) Appointees to the Police Department shall hold office during good behavior and until removed for cause by the Board of Police Commissioners. A violation of the regulations adopted by the Board of Police Commissioners shall be sufficient cause for removal.

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(e) No active head of the Police Department shall be dismissed unless he/she has been given notice in writing of the specific grounds for such dismissal and an opportunity to be heard in his/her own defense, personally and by counsel, at a public hearing before the Board of Police Commissioners. Such public hearing shall be commenced not less than 5 nor more than 10 days after such notice. Any person so dismissed may appeal in the manner described by Section 7-278 of the General Statutes.

(f) The members and officers of the Police Department shall have the authority with respect to the service of criminal process and the enforcement of the criminal laws as vested by the General Statutes in officers and members of an organized police department or force or constables.

(g) The First Selectman, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, may appoint special constables pursuant to Chapter 95 of the General Statutes. Such special constables appointed under Section 7-92 of said Chapter 95 shall be under the control of the Chief of Police.

(h) The Board of Police Commissioners shall be the traffic authority of the Town.