The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-01-11
METROPOLITAN POLICE LAW.
FULL TEXT OF A FAMOUS ACT
The State Board is Authorized to APP
point Public Commissioners i'm Cities
OfOnc Thousand Inhabitants.

sage OF this act, whenever the Govern
Comptroller General shall deem it ad-
visabl4 or necessary for the better and
| more perfect government OF any city
and incorporate town in this State OF
more than 1000 inhabitants, board
| composed of the Governor, Secretary
of State and the Comptroller General
shall appoint IL Board Of Police Com
missioncrs, to consist of three members,
for such city or Incorporated town.
| Such commissioners shall have been
qualified electors and frccholdcrs of
such city at least one year next prior
to their appointment. The official term
of such commissioners shall be cO-ter-
Ininai with that or the said State board
appointing them, aud until their sue
cessors he appointed and qualified, but
such commissioners, or any one OF them,
may be removed and the vacancy or
vacancies filled by the said State board
at any time they may deem such re-
mOval expcdient or necessary to pro-
mote the object OF the original appoint
| mcnt, and SD long as it may be deemed
! necessary or eXpcdicnt by said State
| board or their successors to continue
said State board shall make new ap-
| pointmcnt of the same or other COM
miSsioners for the succeeding term,
to-wit: co-terminal with the term of
such said State board and until their
successors be appointed and qualified,
if such enforcement of the laws of this
State in any city or incorporated town
under police regulation be continued
under this act. Before entering upon
| their duties, such commissioners shall
each take and subscribe and u;iiiSe 10
! lie filed in the Office OF the Secretary of
State an oath of Office for the faithful
discharge Of their duties and the usual
! constitutional oaths required of public
officers, and if the app0intcc shall, for
| ten days after notification OF appoint
| mcnt, fail to cause such oaths to be
| filed rs aforesaid, his appointn cnt shall
be revoked and new appointment
shall be made by said State beard and
the said State board shall have power
to fill any vacancy in said board at any
time, whether caused by death. re-
moval, resignation or any other cause,
OF may, in their discretion, remove any
| mcmnCr or members OF said board If in
their opinion he or they fail to per-
form any duty according to the intent
OF this act. One of the said board
shall be designated by the said State
board To be president and another as
secretary of said board. The annual
salary of said commissioners shall be
not less than fifty dollars nor more
| than three hundred dollars, To be fixed
| by the said State board within these
| limits in proportion to the population
of the particular city in question. But
the secretary may be allowed Il sum
not exceeding fifty dollars in addition
to his salary rs Il commissioner. Said
salaries shall be paid out OF the town
on city treasury in like manner a. the
salaries OF town or city officers.
Sec >. Such Board OF Police Com
niSsioncrs shall immediately appoint
Il marshal, who shall he chief Of police,
and the necessary commissioned Otli-
| GERS. who shall give bond in an amount
| equal TO that required on the 18th day
of December, lS9l, Of similar officers
under the ordinances OF such cities and
towns, subject To the orders OF the
board and as many policemen as may
be deemed necessary by the board, not
| exceeding one for every one thousand
| inhabitants, and who shall have been
residents Oi such city or town at least
six months prior to tncir appointment.
The marshal and policemen shall
hold thcir respective ctliccs cO-tcrmin-
ally with the board appointing them,
subject, however, to rcmova! AZ any
time by II majority vote of the Board
Of Police Commissioners. The mar
shal and policemen so appointed shall
have exclusive power, and it shall be
| their duty, to serve all process issued
by the mayor, intcndant or city re-
cordcr, and all notices and papers is
sued by the Board Of Police Commits
sinners. They, the said marshal and
policemen, shall have ana exercise all
the common law and statutory power
Of conatahics within such city, except
for the service of civil process, and
they shall also have all the powers
now had and exercised by policemen
under the laws "f tNc State and the
ordinances of such city. Provided,
that no city or town shall be liable in
damages for any of the acts Gi the mar
shalS or policcmCu or officials appoint
ed under the provisions Of this act.
See. 3. The Board Of Police Com
missioncrs shall keep and maintain an
Office nt the council chamber, police
court room or some station house or
other convenient place, and shall meet
in regular session every month, and in
special session at any other time upon
written request Of any member to each
other member who is in the city. ANY
regular session may be adjourned for Il
period not exceeding four days. Two
any regular or adjourned session, or at
any special session properly called and
nOtilicd. The concurrence of two Nom
bcrs shall be sufficient to decide any
question properly coming before the
board. 1t shall DC the duty Of tho
Board Of Police Commissioners to fill
all vacancies in the offices Of marshal
and policemen. The Board Of Police
Commissioners shall have entire con
troll Of tho police force of such city. its
organization, government and disci-
plino, and entire control of all station
houses, city prisons. patrol wagons,
books, records, equipments and all
other property belonging to the police
department, and shall audit all claims
against said department and certify
the same tO the mayor and council for
payment when correct: and il shall bC
the duty OF said mayor and council to
pay all of such claims when so credit
ed, certified and presented. And it
shall he the further duty Of said mayor
and council to levy and collect annually
"a tax sufficient TO pay the salaries and
all expenses Of the Board OF Police
Commissioners, marshals and police
mon and of all the rXppnSnS fnr tho