ARTICLE 3. - ABOLISHING BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS

Sec. 1. - Board abolished.#

Such portions of section 6 of chapter 1012 of the public laws, passed at the January session, A.D. 1913, entitled "An act dividing the town of Warwick into two towns," as are concerned in any way with the board of police commissioners for the town of West Warwick, are hereby repealed, and the board of police commissioners for the town of West Warwick is hereby abolished.

(Laws 1923, ch. 2420, § 1)

Editor's note— P.L. 1913, ch. 1012, § 6 appears herein as art. 1, § 6.

Sec. 2. - Powers, authority vested in town council.#

All the powers and authority vested in said board by section 6 of chapter 1012 of the public laws, passed at the January session, A.D. 1913, are hereby conferred and vested in the town council of the town of West Warwick.

(Laws 1923, ch. 2420, § 2)

Sec. 2½. - Tenure of officers; demotion, suspension, removal.#

All police officers, including the chief, who have been appointed or shall be appointed by the town council of the town of West Warwick, shall hold their respective offices until vacated by death, resignation or by disability to serve, except as hereinafter provided; and the chief of police may at any time suspend any police officer or officers from his or their office or offices until the next regular meeting of said council, at which meeting the chief of police shall report in writing any and all suspensions with his reasons therefor, and the council shall direct the town clerk to notify the officer or officers who have been suspended that a hearing will be held with respect to said suspension or suspensions at the next regular or special meeting as the council shall direct, and the said council may continue said suspension or suspensions until said hearing is held; provided, however, that any one or more of the police officers, including the chief, so appointed shall be subject to reduction in rank, suspension or removal from office by said council upon its own motion at any regular or special meeting thereof, for misconduct, disobedience of orders from a superior officer, or for malfeasance or nonfeasance in office or for other acts which are unbecoming an officer; and all such reductions in rank, suspensions or removals shall be by said council upon charges made in writing, setting forth in general the facts upon which the said charge or charges is or are based, and the said town council shall give the officer or officers complained of notice and an opportunity at the time appointed to be heard thereon; provided, further, however, that this section shall apply to regularly employed and full-time maintenance personnel and employees of the police department; and that nothing in this chapter shall be construed to apply to any police officer or constable other than the members of the regular paid police department of said town of West Warwick.

(Laws 1923, ch. 2420, § 3; Laws 1949, ch. 2180, § 1; Laws 1954, ch. 3320, § 1; Laws 1966, ch. 237, § 1)

Sec. 3. - Prior acts validated.#

All legal acts, matters and things done, and all rights and powers conferred and all duties imposed by the said board are hereby declared valid and effectual in all respects and shall continue in force until otherwise ordered by said town council.

(Laws 1923, ch. 2420, § 3)

Sec. 4. - Documents transferred to council.#

The clerk of said board shall forthwith deliver to said town council all their books, records, documents and papers and all other property of every kind and description relative to all acts and things done or performed by said board.

(Laws 1923, ch. 2420, § 4)

Sec. 5. - When act effective; repealer.#

This act shall take effect upon it passage, and all acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.

(Laws 1923, ch. 2420, § 5)