Chapter 2.36 - POLICE DEPARTMENT

Sections:

2.36.010 - Organization of department.#

The police department of the city of South Salt Lake shall consist of a chief of police and such other police officers as shall from time to time be deemed necessary. They shall serve at the discretion of the mayor and their salaries and allowances shall be fixed by and subject to change by resolution of the city council.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-1)

2.36.020 - Appointment and removal of chief of police.#

A.

On or before the first Monday in February following each official election, the city council shall appoint a competent person to act as chief of police who shall be a United States citizen of good repute and high moral character. The chief of police shall in the discharge of his duties have like powers and be subject to like responsibilities as sheriffs and constables in similar cases; and he shall suppress riots, disturbances and breaches of the peace and apprehend all persons committing any offense against the laws of the state or the ordinances of the city. And at all times he shall diligently and faithfully discharge his duties and enforce all ordinances and regulations of the city for the preservation of peace and good order and the protection of the rights and property of all persons.

B.

He shall organize, supervise and be responsible for all of the activities of the police department, and shall define and assign the duties of the different police officers. He may make recommendations to the mayor or other authorized persons concerning changing of personnel within the department. He shall, when required, attend meetings of the mayor to consult with and advise the mayor on matters of public safety and shall execute all lawful orders of the mayor and see that all orders and judgments of the city court are carried into effect.

C.

The mayor may at any time remove such chief of police without cause, without charges being preferred and without trial, hearing or opportunity to be heard whenever in the opinion of the mayor the good of the service will be served thereby, and the action of the mayor in making such removal shall be final and conclusive. The city recorder shall forthwith notify the chief of police in writing of his removal and from the time of his notification the person so removed shall in no case be entitled to any salary or compensation whatever.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-2)

2.36.030 - Ranking officers.#

A.

Command shall be exercised by virtue of office and special assignment of officers eligible by law and ordinance to command. The officers of the department shall rank in the following order:

1.

First—Chief of police;

2.

Second—Captains in line of seniority;

3.

Third—Sergeants in order of seniority.

B.

In the absence of the chief of police, performance of his duties shall devolve upon the next ranking officer.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-3)

2.36.040 - Removal of officers and disciplinary action.#

A.

All subordinate officers and employees in the police department shall be appointed and retained subject to approval of the mayor and city council, and may be disciplined for misconduct, incompetency or failure to perform the assigned duties or for failure to observe and obey the city ordinances, rules and regulations of the city council or the rules of the chief of police.

B.

The chief of police shall have the control, management, direction of all members of his department and the lawful exercise of his functions with full power at any time to suspend any subordinate officer, employee or agent in the police department for a period not to exceed fifteen (15) days, when in his judgment the good of the service requires it. During the time of such suspension the person or persons so suspended shall not be entitled to any salary or compensation whatever. In all cases of suspension the chief of police shall immediately report the same to the city recorder and to the mayor in writing.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-4)

2.36.050 - Duties of all police officers.#

All police officers of the city of South Salt Lake shall possess the powers conferred upon constables by law; they shall execute and serve all warrants, process, commitments and writs issued by the city council; they shall at all times preserve the public peace, prevent crime, detect and arrest offenders, suppress riots, protect persons and property, remove nuisances existing in the public streets, roads and highways, enforce every law, both state and municipal relating to the suppression of offenses, and the performance of all duties enjoined upon them by ordinance.

(Prior code § 8A-1-5)

2.36.070 - Acceptance of gifts—Penalty.#

No member of the police department shall receive other than his regular salary, any fee or compensation directly or indirectly from a city, county, state or individual for any service rendered or act done in connection with his duty as a police officer. This rule shall not apply to receipt of witness fees; to work unrelated with police duties; or to a gift of reward providing such gift is recommended by the chief of police and approved by the mayor and city council.

(Prior code § 8A-1-7)

2.36.080 - Right to arrest without a warrant.#

The several members of the police force shall have power and authority, without process, and upon presentation of proper credentials, to arrest and take into custody any person who shall commit or threaten or attempt to commit in the presence of such officer, or within his view, any breach of the peace or any offense directly prohibited by the laws of this state or by any ordinance of this city.

(Prior code § 8A-1-8)

2.36.090 - Arresting officer may summon assistance.#

Any police officer shall, when necessary in making an arrest, call upon any person or as many persons as he deems necessary to assist him in the execution of his duty. Every person over the age of eighteen (18) who neglects or refuses to aid and assist any police officer in preventing any breach of the peace or the commission of any criminal offense, being thereto lawfully required by the said police officer in the administration of justice, is punishable by a fine not to exceed two hundred ninety-nine dollars ($299.00).

(Ord. 270 § 1, 1993; prior code § 8A-1-9)

2.36.100 - Record of arrests.#

The chief of police shall provide and cause to be kept a record of arrests. Upon such record shall be entered a statement showing the date of such arrests, the name of the person arrested, the name of the arresting officer, the offense charged and a description of any property found upon the person arrested.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-10)

2.36.110 - Property taken from person arrested—Triplicate receipts.#

With the exception of evidence, when money or other property is taken from a defendant arrested upon a charge of a public offense, the officer taking it must at the time give triplicate receipts therefor, specifying particularly the amount of money or the kind of property taken; one of which receipt he must deliver to the defendant, another he must forthwith file with the clerk of the court of which the compliant and other papers in the case are required by law to be sent, and another must be sent at once to the office of the chief of police.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-11)

2.36.120 - Register of property to be kept.#

The chief of police must enter in a suitable record a description of every article of property alleged to be stolen or embezzled and brought into his office, or taken from the person of a prisoner, and must attach a number to each article and make a corresponding entry thereof.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-12)

2.36.130 - Stolen property—Disposition.#

It shall be the duty of the chief of police to keep all lost or stolen property that comes into the possession of the police department or any of its members, and he shall make all reasonable effort to discover the owners thereof and restore said property to such owners. He shall not be obliged to keep said property longer than a period of six months; and if the owner cannot be found within this period, the chief of police must sell the same at public auction, as provided by law for the sale of personal property on execution. (See Rule 69 (e) Utah Rules of Civil Procedure.) The chief of police shall make a full report to the city treasurer of the articles sold and the amount received by him at any such sale, and the money received shall first be applied to the expenses of the sale and any balance shall go into the city treasury.

(Prior code § 8A-1-13)

2.36.140 - Special officers—Appointment and duties.#

A.

The mayor may at any time appoint policemen and police reserves or watchmen to serve as special police officers without pay from the city unless otherwise determined by the city council, said appointment is subject to revocation and removal as provided in this chapter.

B.

The said policemen, police reserves and/or watchmen so appointed shall act as special police officers throughout the city or at a particular place therein as may be designated in the appointment.

C.

The chief of police shall exercise general supervision over such policemen, police reserves and/or watchmen, and he may with the consent of the mayor, at any time remove such policemen, police reserves and/or watchmen and revoke the police powers conferred upon any such person before the period of his appointment expires without charges being preferred and without trial, hearing or opportunity to be heard, whenever in their opinion the good order and well-being of the city will be served thereby, and such removal and revocation shall be conclusive and final.

(Editorially amended during 10/96 supplement; prior code § 8A-1-14)

2.36.150 - Hiring of police officers with an alcohol-related driving conviction within three years, prohibited.#

No person shall be hired as a police officer if the person has been convicted of an alcohol-related driving offense, as defined in Section 2.36.160, within three years.

(Ord. No. 2018-02, 5-9-2018)

2.36.160 - Definitions.#

"Alcohol-related driving offense" means any offense listed in UCA 41-6a-501(2).

(Ord. No. 2018-02, 5-9-2018)