(a) Chief animal control officer. The chief of police ("chief"), shall be the chief animal control officer charged with enforcing this chapter. The chief is authorized to initiate legal action to enforce this chapter. The chief may delegate any of the powers granted herein to any member of the animal control unit or the police department. Any act done by an animal control officer or a member of the police department that is within the scope of this chapter shall be considered the official act of the chief.
(b) Animal control officers. Animal control officers who have not taken or successfully completed the law enforcement education and training course as prescribed by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, pursuant to G.S. 17C-8 are "nonsworn animal control officers". Nonsworn animal control officers are not authorized to carry on their person any firearms, but are authorized to store at the animal control unit offices, or carry in departmental vehicles, firearms approved for use when necessary to enforce the provisions of this chapter or other applicable law for the control of wild, vicious, dangerous or diseased animals. Nonsworn animal control officers are authorized to store drugs, chemicals and equipment at the animal control unit offices as necessary to enforce the provisions of this chapter or other applicable law for the control of wild, vicious, dangerous or diseased animals. Nonsworn animal control officers shall not have the power of arrest, but shall have all rights, powers and immunities as described in this chapter. As nonsworn members of the unit only have that limited authority described in this chapter, a member shall not be considered a "policeman" for purposes of this Code relating to the policemen's and firemen's special relief fund, and shall not be eligible for benefits thereunder.
(c) Badges. Each member of the unit, while in the performance of duties, shall wear a badge of a size and design to be determined by the chief.
(Code 1982, § 4-5; Ord. No. 01-022, § 1, 11-8-2001)