CHAPTER 112

AN ACT to amend and reenact § 15-291 as amended, of the Code of Vir-
ginia, relating to the department of law enforcement in certain
counties.

[S 30]

Approved February 25, 1958

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 15-291 as amended, of the Code of Virginia, be amended and
reenacted as follows:

§ 15-291. The department of law enforcement shall consist of an
attorney for the Commonwealth and a sheriff, together with their assist-
ants, deputies and employees, and such police as may be appointed pur-
suant to this section and § 15-281.

The attorney for the Commonwealth shall exercise all the powers con-
ferred and perform all the duties imposed upon such officer by general
law and shall be accountable to the board of county supervisors in all
matters affecting the county and shall perform such duties, not incon-
sistent with his office, as the board of county supervisors shall direct. He
shall be selected as provided in § 15-297.

The department of law enforcement may also include a county attor-
ney to be appointed annually by the board of county supervisors and who
shall serve at an annual salary not to exceed six thousand dollars, except
that in counties having a population density of more than two hundred
thirty per square mile the salary may be greater as fixed by the board of
county supervisors. In the event of the appointment of such county at-
torney, the Commonwealth’s attorney shall be relieved of the duties of
advising the board of county supervisors, of drafting or preparing county
ordinances and of defending or bringing civil actions in which the county
or any of its officials shall be a party, and all such duties shall be per-
formed by the county attorney and he shall be accountable to the board
of county supervisors in all such matters.

The sheriff shall exercise all the powers conferred and perform all
the duties imposed upon sheriffs by general law. He shall have the custody
of, and be charged with the duty of feeding and caring for, all prisoners
confined in the county jail. He shall perform such other duties as may be
imposed upon him by the board of county supervisors.

The county executive shall have supervision and control of the police
force of the county. Such police may be appointed pursuant to § 15-281,
and all police officers appointed by the board of county supervisors, pur-
suant to such section, including the chief of the department, shall be con-
servators of the peace in the county and shall be charged with the en-
forcement of all criminal laws throughout the confines of the county.