(a) Authority to Issue Private Police Commissions. The Police Chief pursuant to Ohio R.C. 737.05 is hereby authorized to commission private policemen and private policewomen not in the classified services of the City, under such rules and regulations as Council shall grant.
(b) Rules and Regulations. The Police Chief is hereby authorized to prescribe rules and regulations, and the uniform which shall be worn by such private policemen and private policewomen wherever and whenever their services are conducted. Such private policemen and private policewomen shall each give bond by a bonding company authorized by law in the State of Ohio in the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) to the satisfaction of the Police Chief and the Director of Law, and shall pay an annual fee in the sum of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
(c) Official Uniform not to be Copied. No person not a member of the Police or Fire Departments shall wear a uniform, cap, badge or buttons similar to, or in imitation of the official uniform, cap, badge or buttons at the time in use by the members of the Police and Fire Departments.
(d) Uniform Approval. Any person, firm or corporation desiring to provide special police, watchmen or detective service, either for itself or for hire to others, shall use no distinctive uniform, cap, badge or buttons, to be worn by such person or any employees of such person, firm or corporation, engaged for such purpose, until the form, design and color thereof have first been submitted to and approved by the Police Chief, and a record thereof sufficient to identify the users thereof shall have been made by the Police Chief.
(Ord. 70-28. Passed 6-15-70.)
(e) Duration of Commission. No commission as such private policeman and/or private policewoman shall be valid for a greater period of time than one year from the date of issuance and no person shall be commissioned as such private policeman and/or private policewoman who is not a citizen of the United States of America. The issuance of a private police commission shall not in itself constitute authority to carry firearms. Applicants shall comply with the laws of the State of Ohio regarding the carrying of firearms. The Police Chief shall prescribe such uniform, badge and/or other distinguishing uniform marks for such private policemen or private policewomen as he may see fit in order to distinguish such private police officers from regular police officers of the Police Department.
(Ord. 81-100. Passed 11-16-81.)
(f) Application for Commission; Qualifications. No person shall be commissioned as private policeman and/or private policewoman unless he is licensed to do so. An applicant for such commissions shall:
(1) Be at least twenty-one years of age or over, an American citizen or have declared his intention to become a citizen.
(2) Be of sound physique, with good eyesight and not subject to vertigo, heart trouble or any other infirmity of body or mind, which might render him unfit for the safe carrying out of the duties of such commission. Each applicant shall supply an affidavit to the Police Chief for his application for a commission that he is free from any and all of the infirmities mentioned in this section.
(3) Be able to read, write and speak the English language.
(4) Be clean in dress and person, of good moral character and not addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors and drugs.
(5) Produce, on forms to be provided by the Police Chief, affidavits of his good character from two reputable citizens of the City or Cuyahoga County, who have known him personally, and a further testimonial on a form provided for that purpose, from his last employer, unless, in the estimation of the Police Chief sufficient reason is given for its omission.
(6) Fill out, upon a form to be provided by the Police Chief, a statement giving his full name, residence, places of residence for ten years previous to moving to his present address, age, color, height, color of eyes and hair, place of birth, length of time he has resided in Cuyahoga County, whether a citizen of the United States, place of previous employment, whether single or married, whether he has ever been arrested or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, whether he has been summoned to court, whether his driving license has ever been revoked, and if so, for what cause. Such statement shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant, and filed with the Police Chief as a permanent record. The Police Chief is hereby authorized and empowered to establish additional rules and regulations covering the issuance of such commission of private policemen or private policewomen, not inconsistent herewith, as may be necessary and reasonable.
(g) Photograph and Police Check on Applicant. Each applicant for a commission as private policeman or private policewoman shall file with his application three unretouched color photographs of himself or herself, in such position as the Police Chief may specify, taken within thirty days preceding the filing of his application. Photographs shall be of a size which may be easily attached to his commission, one of which shall be attached to the commission when issued, the others shall be filed with the application in the office of the Police Chief. The photograph shall be so attached to the commission that it cannot be removed and another photograph substituted without detection. Where the application for a commission is denied, two copies of the photograph shall be returned to the applicant by the Police Chief. Each commissioned private policeman or private policewoman shall, upon demand of an inspector of licenses, or a policeman of the Police Department, exhibit his license and photograph for inspection. All applications for such commission as private policemen and/or private policewomen shall be notarized, and failure to list arrests, and/or any other information desired by the Police Chief, would be considered falsifying the application, and the applicant shall be subject to arrest. All applicants for special police work as such private policemen and private policewomen shall be fingerprinted and the Police Chief through his Police Department shall cause a complete record check made of the applicant's character, or obtain any other information he may desire.
(h) Identification. An identification card, with a photograph attached, as outlined in subsection (g) hereof shall be carried by such private policeman and/or private policewoman at all times while on duty in the City, in order to identify him, or her, to our Police Department, showing that he has been qualified to the satisfaction of the Police Chief and the City.
(Ord. 70-28. Passed 6-15-70.)