(A) (1) The Mayor, by and with the consent of the Council, shall appoint such a number of regular police officers as may be necessary. All police officers appointed by the Mayor and Council may be removed, demoted, or suspended at any time by the Mayor as provided in division (A)(2) of this section. A police officer, including the Chief of Police, may appeal to the City Council such removal, demotion, or suspension with or without pay. After a hearing, the City Council may uphold, reverse, or modify the action.
(2) The City Council shall by ordinance adopt rules and regulations governing the removal, demotion, or suspension with or without pay of any police officer, including the Chief of Police. The ordinance shall include a procedure for such removal, demotion, or suspension with or without pay of any police officer, including the Chief of Police, upon the written accusation of the Police Chief, the Mayor, or any citizen or taxpayer. The City Council shall establish by ordinance procedures for acting upon such written accusation, in accordance with Neb. RS 17-107. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the peremptory suspension or immediate removal from duty of an officer by the appropriate authority, pending the hearing authorized by this section, in cases of gross misconduct, neglect of duty, or disobedience of orders.
(3) This section does not apply to a police officer during his or her probationary period.
(B) (1) The City Council may establish a law enforcement reserve force. Members of such force shall be appointed at the discretion of the Council. The Council may limit the size of such reserve force.
(2) (a) A member of a law enforcement reserve force appointed under this section cannot make arrests, issue citations, detain members of the public, or seize evidence without being under the direct supervision of a physically present certified law enforcement officer.
(b) A reserve officer may perform functions at the direction of the County Sheriff or Chief of Police when under the direct supervision of the County Sheriff or Chief of Police. Such functions shall not include making arrests, issuing citations, detaining members of the public, or seizing evidence.
(c) A reserve officer is not limited with respect to the amount of hours worked annually.
(1976 Code, § 3-404) (Ord. 1184, passed 1-8-1996; Ord. 1516, passed 5-2-2022)