(A) The Director of Public Safety may appoint and commission, at his or her discretion, with the prior approval of the Chief of Police, a special police officer to be known as an Animal Control Warden, who shall have the police power necessary to investigate and assist in the enforcement of all state statutes and city ordinances relating to animals, including, but not limited to, division (E) below. Such Warden shall have all the rights, privileges, immunities and obligations extended to regular members of the Police Division, subject to the limitations hereinafter specified. Any person so authorized shall first secure a permit from the Director, which permit shall be revocable by the Director, for cause. The Director shall send, by registered mail, notification of a hearing to an Animal Control Warden, if revocation for cause is being considered, which hearing shall occur at least five days before the effective date of such revocation.
(B) A permit must be granted, without charge, before any commission is valid and no person shall engage in special police duties as an Animal Control Warden unless and until such permit has been issued. An application for the permit shall be obtained from the office of the Chief of Police; it shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprints, photographs, past addresses and past employment. Each applicant must be 21 years of age or over. Any applicant granted a permit by the Director shall, before his commission is effective, provide evidence to the Director from an insurance company that the applicant has obtained a $300,000 liability insurance policy to protect against any property damage or personal injury claim arising out of any negligence or misfeasance attributable to him or her or arising out of vehicle crashes occurring in the performance of any duty imposed by the ordinances of the city.
(C) The powers herein granted to the Animal Control Warden and the rights, privileges and immunities further granted shall inure only so long as he or she is employed by the city in that capacity. While engaged in his or her capacity as an Animal Control Warden, he or she shall carry a badge and other credentials to be furnished by the Chief of Police, which credentials shall specify his or her police capacity. He or she shall not be permitted to carry a pistol, rifle or other firearm, but may carry for use in performing his or her duties a night stick, billy club or gas gun.
(D) No person herein authorized to be commissioned and appointed as an Animal Control Warden shall, in the course of his or her duties, have any claim upon the City or the Police Pension Fund, or upon any division of the county or state, by and through the special commission herein granted, arising out of any damage or personal injury sustained by such person in his or her course of employment as an Animal Control Warden.
(E) The Animal Control Warden shall retain custody of any stray dog for a period of three days to allow its owner to claim it. If the owner does not timely claim it, the Animal Control Warden shall release the dog to the county. If the owner does timely claim it, the Animal Control Warden shall release the dog to its owner upon the payment of a $20 impound fee to be used to maintain the kennel operations and the equipment.
(Prior Code, § 238.02) (Ord. 44-1996, passed 3-25-1996)