Chap. 160.—An ACT relating to police departments and police forces in certain
counties, [H B 263}
Approved March 11, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. Section 1. The county board or other governing body of any
county in this Commonwealth having a population in excess of one thou-
sand persons per square mile, according to the last preceding United
“tates census, and having a county manager, shall have the power to
establish a police force to be known as the County Police Department of
such county, the same to be created by the adoption of a resolution to
that effect by the said governing body.
Section 2. The said county board or other governing body of such
county establishing such a police department shall have power to make
provision for financing said department in the general county levy, for
the retirement and relief of the members of said police department, and
shall have full power to do all things deemed by said board advisable or
necessary to establish, organize and administer said department and to
carry out the provisions of this act.

Section 3. Members of such police department shall be appointed
by the judge of the circuit court of such county, either in term or vaca-
tion upon the joint request and recommendation of the chief of said
department and the county manager and such appointments shall either
be for an indefinite period during the good behavior of the appointees or
for a fixed length of time to be designated by the said judge; provided,
however, that the said judge shall not be bound to appoint any or all
prospective members of said department recommended by the chief of
the police and the county manager as aforesaid but shall have the right
to reject the same when he deems it in the public interest so to do. Pro-
vided, further, that the said judge shall have the right to discharge any
member of the said police force or to suspend any member for such
length of time as he may deem proper for any failure to perform his
duty or for the commission of any offense against the criminal laws of
this or any other state or the District of Columbia or the United States or
for any conduct unbecoming to a conservator of the peace. Upon any
charges being lodged against any police officer with the said judge he shall
have the right to forthwith suspend the said officer and shall cause writ-
ten copy of the said charge to be served upon said officer by the sheriff
of said county, but before making such suspension final shall grant to the
said officer if requested by him a hearing on such charges and if upon
such hearing the said officer be found guilty said discharge shall be made
permanent or said suspension shall be for a time fixed by the court pro-
vided that any officer desiring a hearing shall notify the court in writing
within ten days. The county manager shall from the membership of the
said police force appoint a chief of police who shall hold office for a defi-
nite term fixed by the said county manager or at the will of the latter and
whose duties shall be to have supervision over and direct the said police
department.

Section 4. All the members of the said police force shall have the
powers and duties and be subject to the requirements and provisions as
set forth in sections forty-eight hundred, forty-eight hundred one as
amended, and forty-eight hundred two of the Code of Virginia.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.