TO
PROVIDE
FOR
A RE-ORGAN!
ZATION, REGULATION AND
GOV-
ERNMENT
OF
THE
MUNICIPAL
POLICE FORCE
OF ST. CROIX.
Be
it enacted
by
the
Colonial
Council for St. Croix in Session
as-
sembled.
'
There
shall
be
in the
Municipality
of St.
Crcix
ar
organized
Police
Force,
to be
known
as
‘‘The
Municipa:
Police
Foree’’ whose
duty it
shall
be
to protect
persons
and
p operty,
maintain
and
pre-
serve
public order,
prevent,
detect
and
repress
crime,
and,
within the sphere
of
its duties,
enforce
obedience
to the laws,
and
to
rules
and
regulations
issued
in
pursuance
of
law,
throughout
the
said
Municipality.
92
The Municipal Police
Forece
is here-
by charged
with
the
divection,
marage-
ment,
maintenance
and the
diseipline of
all prisons
in
St.
Croix:
also
with
the
safe-keeping
and activities of all
persons
coniined in
any prison in
St.
Croix.
‘The
Municipal
Police
Force
shall
be
composed
of a Director and
fourDistriet
Chiefs of
Police,
Inspectors,
Sergeants,
Patrolmen
and Matrons.
3.
The
actual
numerical
strength
of
the Municipal Police
Force shall
be
such
as the Governor
may
from time to
time
determine,
and,
excepting
as
provided
in the next section,
the
maximum
shall
not exceed forty-two members.
4.
lln
case
of riot,
or impending,
or
unusual
disturbances,
the
Director
of
Police
may,
if
he
deem
the
Municipal
Police
Forc:
inadequate
to
maintain
law
and
order,
specially
deputize
any
num-
ber of citizens
of
the Island of St.
Croix
to act
as special policemen
of
the
Muni-
cipal Police Force.
It shall be mandatory
for any citizen
selected
by
the
Director
of Police for special
police
duty to
serve
as
a member
of
the
Worce
for
a
period
not
to
exceed
thirty-six
hours
without
pay
and such
special
policemen
shall
be
subjeet
to all rules,
regulations
and
or-
ders
governing
the Force.
5.
The compensation
of the Members
of the Municipal Police
Force shall
be as
follows per annum:
Director of P01ice.....
.
Fres.
12,000.00
2 District Chiefs of Police
@..
"
7,500.00
v Distriet Chiefs of Police @..""
6,600,00
Tistetionn &, ..
-<..;
oo
6,000.00
Sergeants
@. ---
......
ceas o SNO
Deeeolien @ ...
..
.
R UINHD
Mo
L
2 dnOF)
6.
The supreme
authority
in respect
to the direction
and control
of the
Muni-
einal Police
Force
and
ail its duties,
shall
be veste
i in the Gevernor,
but the Force
shall be
under
g€he
immediate
command
and control
of the
Director of Police,
or
in his absence
of the
next
highest
rank-
inc member
of the Force
to be known
as
“*Acting irector of Police’”’.
7.
The
Director
of Pclice
is
charged
with the supervision
and administration
of the Municipal Police,
under the direc-
tion of the Governor, from whom he shall
ST.
€ BO]
X
&A)NIS
receive
orders
and
to whom
he shall
sub-
mit
such
reports
as
may
be
required.
He shall also
be,
ex-officio sheriff “or the
Municipality of St.
Croix, anrd for
each
and
all of :he
Judicia,
subdivisions
of the
Isiand of St. Croix.
The
Director
is further
charged
with
the following duties.
{.
He shall superintend
the purchase
of
all property
acquired
by
the
Police
Department,
certify to
the
correct-
ness
of
all
vouchers
in
payment
ctherefor
and be responsiblezfor
such
property.
-
9 € He shall
caase
to be kept in” the
Po-
lice
Headquarters
an
accurate
and
complete
record
of
ali
property
of
value which
may
be
found,
or
re-
covered
or which may otherwise
come
into possesion
of
members
of
the
Police Force,
whose
owners'
are
un-
known,
and shall make such
disposi-
tion as may be required
by law.
3.
He shall supervise
ar.l
be
responsi-
ble for
the
preparation
of all
pay-
rolls
and
vouchers
for
expenditures
on account
of the Police
Department
as
well as for the
safe-keeping
and
proper aceounting for all
monies
re-
ceived by the Police Department.
4.
He,
or the Acting Director of Police,
shall proceed
with
all
possible
dis-
- pateh
to the
scene
of any serious
dis-
order
or
unusual
occurrence
wherc
his
presence
may
be
required
and
will personally
take
com™
nd of
the
Municipa! Police
at such place.
8.
A District Chief of
Police
is
the
commar.ding
police officer of the
district
to which
he
is
assigned.
He
is the rep-
reseatative
within
hiz
distriet
of
the
Director of Police,
whose orders
he
shall
receive and obey,
to whom he
shall
sub-
mit required
reports
and
to
whom
he
shall
be responsible
for
the
proper
su-
pervision
of Police affairs
in the
district
to which
he is assigned.
He shall be responsible
for
the
prover
discipline of those
under
his
command,
for their efficiency in poiice
work,
their
ombpliance
with the rules andregulations
governing
the
Municipal
Police
Force,
the proper
care of Government
property
and equipment
in his charge
and for
the
mainteiance
of such records
and files
as
are required
by rule or regulation.
9.
Inspectors
and Sergeants
shall
per-
form
such
duties
as
may
be
assigned
them by the Chief
of
Police
or
District
Chief of Police.
10.
It is the duty
of
llnspectors,
Ser-
geants,
Patrolmen
to
protect
life
and
property, prevent
crime and disorder
and
obey
the orders.
of their superior oficers;
while
on patrol duty to constantly
patrol
the street¢
and
other
places
“on
their
beats.
acquaint
themseives
w'th the
peo-
ple by sight,
name
places
of
residence
and ocenpation,
take
possession
of lost
property found,
delivering
it
to
their’
Ccmmanding
Officers; to treat
courteous-
ly all persons
who ask for information
or
assistance
and render proper aid
to
per-
sons
requiring
it;
to give
their
names
and numbers
to any persons
who ask for
it:
to
use all possible
diligence
in secur-
ing evidence
relating
to any
crime and to
conduct
themselves
at all timesin
an.
or-
derly, respectful
and moral
manner.
They shall render
protection
to
people
assembled
at all public meetings
ofalaw-
ful nature
and
maintain
order there at.
They
shall thoroughly
investigate
be-
fore making
a report,
and
shall
not
be-
come
involved in disputes
or intrigues.
11.
The Director of Police, the District
Chiefs of Police, and
the Inspectors
shall
be appotnted
by the Governor.
All other
members
of the Foree
shall
be
appointed
by the Directcr
of Police.
The Director of Police
shall
have
full
power
“o suspend,
with
or without
pay,
discharge,
or reduce
in
grade
any
ap-
pointment made
by him.
:
12.
The
Director
of
the
Municipal
Police
Force
is hereby
authorized
tc
pre-
pare
rules
and
rvegulations
concerning
the
detail and
duties
and
to further
the
prover discipline and
maintenance
of the
Municipal
Police
Force,
and, to
provide
penalties for the
violations
of rules
and
regulations.
Appeals
for such
penalties
lie to the Governor,
whose
decision
there-
on shall
be final.
13.
The
Director
of
the
Municival
Police
Force
is echarged
with the manage-
ment,
direction
and
maintenance
of
all
prisons
and
jails in
St.
Croix.
He shall
be
in charge
of all property belonging to
the
prisons
and jails, and
he
sha!l keep
an
account
of all
expenses,
and
render
such reporis
as may
be
requested
by the
Governor.
He
shall receive
and confine,
or
cause
to
be received
and
confined all
persons
charged,
or hereafter
charged
or
con-
“icted
of an
offense
against
the
laws
in
force in St.
Croix in 2ccordance
with the
terms
of
the
mittimus
or
commitment
aguly
issued
by
a
competent
authority,
and
he
shall
safely
keep
such
persons
until discharged
by due
eourse of law.
14.
The
Director of Police
is
hereby
authorized
to
make all rules
and
regula-
tions
necessary
or needful for the control
of the prisoners
and
to provide
penalties
for
the violation thereof
which shall
be
submitted
to and approved
by
a commit-
tee
of
three
members
named
by
the
Colonial Counecll.
15,
The
Ordinance
of
Auguste 31,
1918,
providing for
a
Municipai
Police
Force
for'St.
Croix is hereby
repealed,
excepting
sections
eleven
and
twelve
thereof.
.
T
us
d
ly passed
at
an Extraordinary
Meeting
of
the
Colonial
Council
held
Monday,
November
17, 1919.
;
Christiansted,
St.
Croix,
November
19,
1919.
D.
C. CANEGATA, ROBT. L. MERWIN,
Secretary.
Chairman.
The
above
Orcinance
is her
by
sane-
tioned and approved.
Witness
my Hand and
the Seal of the
Government
of the
Virgin Islands
of the
United
States
at
St.
Thomas,
the
6th
day of December,
in the year 1919.
(SEAL)
J.
W. OMAN,
.
Governor.