.’ 

JIM MAlTOX 

Attorney General 

-.Decembcr 2. 1905 

Suprcm6 Cowl BulldIng 

P.0.Box12545 

AUCIln. lx 75711.2545 

51Y4752501 

Telex 5la574.1267 

Td.coplrr 5121475-0255 

Honorable term1 1. Smith 

chairm6n 

Opinion lo. m-386 

714 Jackson. Suitr 700 

Dall6c,~ 752024505 

214n42a644 

comictee on Crimfml Jurispmdcncr Rc: Whether an aldentan of 6 

Tcxar Eoure of Rcyresentetives general ldw city uay 8eave l * 

P. 0. Box 2910 a member of that city's police 

betin, Texas Xl69 reeenw 

Dear Representative Smith: 

You reque8t w opinion on the follwlng question: 

a24 AIbmC AVE.. Sulle 160 Can m 6lderwn on the city council of l 

El P6ao. TX. 198052763 

615f533.3464 

general ltav city legally se-e as a member of that 

same ciq’8 police rererrre? 

loolT*x4s.sullr 700 

wouslon.Tx. 77002.3111 

7cmm 

Article 9986, V.T.C.S., authorizes a general lav city to 

eetabli6h a pollctc re6erve force: 

we Broulrry.Suilo 312 

Luboock.tx 764013r7s 

6ce747-5255 

008 N. TmIh, SUII. 8 

McN6n. lx. 7wol-1565 

512l662d647 

200 MIllI PlU& Suit. No 

sari ~ntodo. Tx. 762052767 

512/22541s1 

: (a) The governing body of en7 city. tom. or 

Village :u6y provide for the l 6tabllstment of 6 

;dFz,., ceawy,e ~fo~tiori;ber6 of the police 

f f 6hall be appointed 

‘at the~dircretioo of the chiei of police and shall 

oeme OII puce officeF6,. during the actual discharge of officiel duties~. :..;~ 

. 

(b) ,% governing body s&l l 6trblirb qualifiutionr and standard6 of tr6inins for members of 

~~t~~l~~~i,I.c~~~~~=e~d msP lfmit the size 

(4 ~~ No person appointed to the police reserve 

force y cm- 8 veapon or otherviee act es l 

p ea c e o ffic er until he I166 beeo l ppr wed by the 

pvernimlg body. titer l pprwal. he UI earn l 

ve66on onlr yhen l utho&ed by the -Chief - of 

Police,, and- when dirctirgin$ official duties a6 a 

duly ecmrtituted puce officer. 

(d) kkmbers of the police reseme force serve 

at the discretion of the chief of police end may 

be callscd into remice at my time the chief of 

The Attorney General of Texas 
RonOr6bL6 ferr61 Il. Soitb - I’eSe 2 (M-386) 

r 

police COn6ider6 it neee6mry to have l dditionel 

officers to preruve the puce rod enforce the 

~16V. 

(e) llemben af the police .rememe force uy 

,seme without eompme~tion but the governing body 

6~ prwide uuifom compen66tiou for members of 

the police reserve force. The compens6tio6 shell 

be b66ed solely qon time rerved by l peder of 

the police reeerwc fotee vhile in treinins for, or 

in the perform&Inca of, officiel dutier. 

.cer, end reserve ( 

6th benefits 66 6et cut %n Chapter 

86, Acts of the 60th Legialrture, Regul6r Sc6sion, 

1967, 66 6mended (Article 622Sf. Vernon's Texas 

Civil Statutes). prwided. hwev6r. that nothing 

in thi6 Act 6he1.1 be construed to 6utborize or 

petmit 6 member aIf the police re6eme force to 

becoue eligiblr for p6rticip6tioo in 6ny peurion 

fund crated pur6mnt to St6te stetute to vhich 

regul6r officerr cney become l ,.memb by er p6yroll 

deductions or othc~nrire. 

(8) R666q6 police OffiC6rO 6h611 6Ct only in 

6 suppltoPrnt6ry,c6p6city to the reguler police 

force 6nd 6h611 ‘.LIP no. c66e l s6uue the full ti6te 

duties of r,&lar police officerr without first 

complying dtb 6:llL requirement6 for such reguler 

police officers. 

(h) This Act doer not lfmit the pwer of the 

uyor of my gwerel-kv city to 6unnon into 

service l 6pccirl police force, 66 prwided by 

Article 995, Rrri6ed Civil St6tuteo of Tex66. 

1925. (Eoph66is l dded) . 

The city council hm conofldlerable supervisory pwer wer the police 

reseme. The council l st6b:lisbes tbe force end determine6 it6 size. 

It sets qu6lifiestions 6nd tr6ininS stend6rdr for member6 and 

determiner vbetber they rh611 receive compen66tion 6nd ho6pit61 6nd 

medic61 6srist6nce. No inclividuel member of the police re6eme force 

m6y C6rry 6 Ye6pon or otherraise 6Ct 66 6 police officer until he h66 

been 6pproved by the city council. & 

p. 1768 
’ . 

Ronor6ble Terre1 1. Smith a. P6Se 3 (RI-386) 

In our opinion. tba! coIIIDon In, doctrine of incomp6tibility 

prohibits an eldermen on xhe city council o f l Sener61 16~ city from 

l ewin~ ~6 e member of the city's police reseme. This doctrine 

prevents one perron frw boldinS two offices if the duties l r6 in 

conflict or if one 16 &bl,rdinate to the other. 

District So. 1, 50 S.W.2d : 

other grounds 6ub nom. Prultt v. Glen Rome Independent School District 

No. 1, 84 S.W.2d 1000 T;:. 1935) 

pA;pv-303 (19071. 

; Attoruey Cenerel. Opinionm m-203 

Sea! 6160 Stete v. Martin, 51 S.U.2d 615 (Tex. 

--- 

. . - Snn Antonio 15,32, no vrit). Coasideratioer of incompatibility al60 bar 6 public csfflcer from rppointing himself to en office 

or employment over vhich lrtr holds the appointive paver. Eblinger v. 

Clark. 8 S.W.Zd 666 (Tex. 1928); Attorney Gmnerd Letter Advi6ory No. 

ii$7l975); see al60 Starr County v. Cuerra. 297 S.W.?d 379 (Tar. Civ. 

. - Ssn Antonio 1956, no vrit). Although 8 member of the re6eme 

is appointed by the police: chief, he MY not exercise the poverr of a 

peace officer until the city council 6pprwer hi6 l ppointnent. 

V.T.C.S. art. 9986(c). The city council’m 6pprov61 power rerembler a 

rbared povcr to rppoiot. Attoruey General Letters 

Advisory g06. 156, 132 rbared pov8r to l ppo ic t 

in context of nepotism +ertion). In viev of the city council'6 

supervision and other 6ul.bority over member6 of the police. reserve 

force, and the accountabi:l!Lty of police resewe force member6 to the 

city council. a member of the city council may not 6etve on the city's 

police re6eme. 

SUMWART . 

Article 996a, V.T.C.S., Sives the city council 

con6iderable 6uIeKVisO9 authority over MtDber6 Of 

the police re66crre force and uk46 the force 

accountsble to the city eouoeil. The cow00 l~v 

doctrine of ir.comp~tibility therefore bars an 

alderman on the city council of l general lav city 

from also serv1r.g es a member of the city's police 

re6erv•. 

Very truly your 

J-J~ 

. 

JIM UATTOX 

Attorney Gener61 of Texas 

JACX RIGEITMR 

yir6t A66i6tant Attorney (k!oeral 
gonorable terrrl 1. Smith - pege 4 (~~-386) 

NARY RELLER 

Executive Assistant Attorney General 

ROBERT GMT 

Special &rirtont AttorSey ~;arner&l 

RICR GILPIN 

Chairmm, Gpfnion Coumittee 

Prepared by Swan L. Garrim~n 

Ammiot6nt Attorney General 

APPROVED: 

OPINION COM4ITTEE 

RI& Gilpin, Chaiamw 

Colin Carl 

SU6m G6rri6OU 

Tony Gull109 

Jim Moellinger 

Jennifer Riggs 

Nancy Sutton 

Sarah Vqelk 

BNCe Youngblood 

-- .Z 

, 

p. 1770