CHAPTER 93

AN ACT to amend and reenact § 60 of Chapter 84 of the Acts of
Assembly of 1918, approved February 7, 1918, which pro-
vided a charter and special form of government for the City
of Norfolk, said section relating to the Division of Police.

{ H 159 J

Approved March 3, 1950

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That section sixty of chapter thirty-four of the Acts of
Assembly of nineteen hundred eighteen, approved February
seven, nineteen hundred eighteen, which provided a charter and
special form of government for the city of Norfolk, be and the
same is hereby amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 60. Division of Police.—The police force shall be com-
posed of a chief of police and of such officers, patrolmen and
other employees as the city manager may determine. The chief
of police shall have the immediate direction and control of the
said force, subject, however, to the supervision of the director
of public safety, and to such rules, regulations and orders as
the said director may prescribe, and through the chief of police
the director of public safety shall promulgate all orders, rules
and regulations for the government of the whole force. In case
of the disability of the chief of police to perform his duties by
reason of sickness, absence from the city or other cause, the
director of public safety shall designate * an officer of the police
force to act as chief of police during such disability, and the
officer so designated shall serve without additional compensation.
The members of the police force other than the chief shall be
selected from the list of eligibles prepared by the civil service
commission, and in accordance with such rules as the said com-
mission may prescribe, provided that in case of riot or emer-
gency the director of public safety may appoint additional patrol-
men and officers for temporary service, who need not be in the
classified service. Each member of the police force, both rank
and file, shall have issued to him a warrant of appointment
signed by the director of public safety, in which the date of his
appointment shall be stated, and such warrant shall be his com-
Mission. Each member of the said force shall, before entering
upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe an oath that he
will faithfully without fear or favor, perform the duties of his
office, and such oath shall be filed and preserved with the records
of said department. And in addition the several officers of the
said force shall, if so required by the council, give bond in such
penalty and with such security as the council may by ordinance
prescribe. _

No person except as otherwise provided by general law or
by this charter shall act as special police, special detective or
other special police officer for any purpose whatsoever except
upon written authority from the director of public safety. Such
authority, when conferred, shall be exercised only under the
direction and control of the chief of police and for a specified
time. ,

The officers and privates constituting the police force of
said city shall be, and they are, hereby invested with all of the
power and authority which pertains to the office of constable at
common law in taking cognizance of and in enforcing the crimi-
nal laws of the State and the ordinances and regulations of said
city, and it shall be the duty of each such officer and private to
use his best endeavors to prevent the commission within the said
city of offenses against the laws of said State, and against the
ordinances and regulations of said city; to observe and enforce
all such laws, ordinances and regulations; to detect and arrest
offenders against the same; to preserve the good order of said
city, and to secure the inhabitants thereof from violence, and the
property therein from injury. Such policemen shall have no
power or authority in civil matters, but shall execute any crimi-
nal warrant or warrant of arrest that may be placed in his
hands by any justice of the city, and shall make due return
thereof. Such policemen shall not receive any fee or other com-
pensation for any services rendered in the performance of his
duty, other than the salary paid him by the city, nor shall he
receive a fee as a witness in any case arising under the criminal
laws of the said State, or under the ordinances or regulations of
the said city.

The director of public safety shall prescribe the uniforms
and badges for the members of the police force, and direct the
manner in which the members of said force shall be armed. Any
person other than a member of said force who shall wear such
uniform or badge as may be prescribed as aforesaid, may be sub-
jected to such fine or imprisonment, or both, as may be pre-
scribed by the council by ordinance.