CHAPTER 18.
POLICE.
As to delivery of articles left in taxicabs to police, see § 5-24 of this Revision. As to personnel regulations generally, see ch. 16. As to sick leave of police department employees, see § 16-19. As to notification of chief of police of public amusement performances, see § 19-5. As to employment of police officers at public amusement functions, see § 19-6. As to employment of police officers at dances, see § 19-13. As to powers and duties of police officers at dances, see § 19-14.
§ 18-1. Composition of department.
§ 18-2. Powers and duties of chief.
§ 18-3. Appointment and oath.
§ 18-4. Special officers– Generally.
§ 18-4.1. School crossing guards.
§ 18-5. Equipment.
§ 18-6. Investigations and reports.
§ 18-7. Compensation for sickness, injury, etc.
§ 18-8. Uniform clothing allowance.
§ 18-9. Overtime compensation.
§ 18-10. Compensation for holiday work.
§ 18-11. Compensation for court attendance.
§ 18-12. Indemnification of officers and firemen for medical expenses.
§ 18-13. Minimum hours of work.
§ 18-14. Compensation for educational credits achieved.
§ 18-15. Fingerprinting fee.
Sec. 18-1. Composition of department.
The police department shall consist of one chief and one captain. There shall be six lieutenants, and not less than six sergeants, a detective bureau staffed from 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. and on call from 11:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M., a pro-active drug enforcement unit and a full time juvenile officer. There shall be as many reserve and special officers as the city council deems necessary and not less than a cumulative total of fifty-five patrolmen. Full implementation of this section is to be accomplished by July, 1988.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, § 1; 6-11-62; 5-13-63; 11-25-74; 6-23-86.)
Sec. 18-2. Powers and duties of chief.
The chief of police shall be the head of the police department and shall have entire control of the department, its officers and members and of all constables and other officers when engaged in the police service of the city or when assigned by him to any special duty. He shall make such rules and regulations for the conduct and control of the department as he deems advisable, subject to the approval of the city council and the mayor.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, § 2.)
As to enforcement of air pollution regulations by police chief, see § 3-5 of this Revision.
Sec. 18-3. Appointment and oath.
The members of the police department shall be appointed by the mayor in accordance with the provisions of chapter 31 of the General Laws and shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, § 3.)
Sec. 18-4. Special officers– Generally.
The mayor may appoint special officers to serve with or without pay. The persons thus appointed shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter, so far as they are applicable, and to all the rules and regulations prescribed by the mayor, city council or chief of police.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, § 4.)
Sec. 18-4.1. School crossing guards.
The mayor may appoint special officers to serve, with pay, as school crossing guards with authority to direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic upon the public ways in the immediate areas adjacent to such school crosswalks.
(8-28-72.)
Sec. 18-5. Equipment.
All members of the police department shall have in their possession and carry while on active duty a revolver, club, billy, handcuffs and twisters or such other articles as may be required in the performance of their official duties.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, § 5.)
Sec. 18-6. Investigations and reports.
The chief of police shall investigate or cause to be investigated all matters in which the interest of the city is concerned when information or evidence is sought by the mayor, the city solicitor, the council or any committee thereof. A report shall be made to the officer, board or committee requesting the information or evidence.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, § 6.)
Sec. 18-7. Compensation for sickness, injury, etc.
Each member of the police department who is unable to discharge his duty on account of sickness or injury incurred by reason of and while in the discharge of such duty, subject to the approval of the city council, shall be enTitled to his regular compensation; provided, that his claim therefor is accompanied by a written certificate of a physician testifying to such disability and a written statement from the chief of police testifying to the cause of his disability. Whenever such member is a special or reserve officer, his compensation shall be the equivalent of his average wages for the three months preceding date of injury or sickness.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, § 7.)
Sec. 18-8. Uniform clothing allowance.
The chief of police shall disburse to each regular member of the police department annually the sum of money the city council appropriates in any year as the uniform clothing allowance for the regular members of the police department.
(R. O. 1960, ch. 9, §8.)
Sec. 18-9. Overtime compensation.
If a regular police officer in the service of the city shall be required to be on duty for any period in excess of his regular hours of duty as from time to time established, he shall be compensated at an hourly rate equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of his regular compensation for his average weekly hours of regular duty.
(7-14-65; 12-8-69.)
Sec. 18-10. Compensation for holiday work.
If any regular police officer in the city is required to work on January first, February twenty-second, April nineteenth, May thirtieth, July fourth, the first Monday of September, October twelfth, November eleventh, Thanksgiving day, Christmas day or the day following when any of the five days first mentioned or October twelfth, November eleventh or Christmas day occurs on Sunday, he shall be given an additional day off or, if such additional day off cannot be given because of personnel shortage or other cause, he shall be entitled to an additional day's pay; provided, that in the case of any such police officer whose regular day off or vacation day falls on any of the aforementioned holidays, an additional day off shall be allowed or payment in lieu of one day shall be allowed.
(7-14-65.)
Sec. 18-11. Compensation for court attendance.
Any regular police officer of the city who is required to attend court as a witness for the state or the United States of America in a criminal case, or before the Grand Jury of the state or the United States of America, the licensing board of the city, or the Registry of Motor Vehicles of the state in any criminal or civil case which arises out of the employee's employment, which attendance is at a time when the employee is not regularly scheduled for duty, shall be paid for all time spent in attendance before such body at the rate of time and one-half his regular straight time pay.
Such police officer to whom the city is required to pay court time in a criminal matter, as set forth above, shall be guaranteed a minimum of two hours of such pay. In civil cases, the compilation of time shall include period of travel to and from the Superior Court.
(7-14-65; 12-12-68; 9-25-72.)
Sec. 18-12. Indemnification of officers and firemen for medical expenses.
A panel, consisting of the mayor, city solicitor or his appointee and a physician, appointed by the mayor, is hereby established for the purpose of determining whether it is appropriate under all the circumstances for the city to indemnify police officers and firemen for medical expenses incurred in the performance of their duties or for expenses incurred in defending legal actions brought against them for acts done in the performance of their duties, as authorized in section 100, chapter 41 of the Massachusetts General Laws together with amendments thereto.
(12-9-68.)
Sec. 18-13. Minimum hours of work.
Effective January 1, 1973, police officers of the city shall work the minimum average of thirty-seven and one-half hours per week.
Uniformed patrolmen assigned to a patrol function shall be scheduled on a four and two basis. Other officers shall be scheduled on a four and two basis at the discretion of the chief of police, or may be assigned in some other manner; provided, however, that such officers' minimum average hourly work week shall be thirty-seven and one-half hours.