(A) In America, where the supremacy of public opinion is assured, it is essential that the system upon which public safety depends is developed to a high degree of efficiency and that it is administered in a manner to assure the continued approbation and respect of the public.
(B) Rules cannot be drawn that will prescribe in specific detail the manner in which all the duties of law enforcement officers shall be performed. The problems of police service are many and they are subject to the influence of the constant development of public administration. This subchapter describes the basic objectives sought and provides general rules for the performance of the manifold duties of law enforcement officers.
(C) The basic objectives are:
(1) To encourage fair and impartial enforcement of the laws and the protection of individual rights;
(2) To elevate the standing of the profession in the public mind, and to strengthen public confidence in law enforcement;
(3) To encourage law enforcement officers to fully appreciate the responsibilities of their office;
(4) To develop and maintain complete support and cooperation of the public for law enforcement;
(5) To ensure the effectiveness of the service by encouraging complete cooperation of its members for their mutual benefit;
(6) To strive for full coordination of effort in all official relationships with other governmental bodies; and
(7) To consider police work an honorable profession and to recognize in it an opportunity to render a worthwhile service to society.
(D) General rules of official conduct include the following.
(1) Members of the town’s Police Department shall be habitually courteous; they shall recognize their responsibilities as public servants and shall be particularly attentive to citizens seeking assistance or information or who desire to register complaints or give evidence.
(2) They shall accept their responsibility to the public by being punctual in their engagements and expeditious in the performance of their duties.
(3) They shall regard their office as a public trust, and in the discharge of their duties, be constantly mindful of their primary obligation to serve the public efficiently and effectively.
(4) They shall administer the law in a just, impartial, and reasonable manner; and shall not accord to some more reasonable treatment than to others. They shall recognize the limitations of their authority and at no time use the power of their office for their own personal advantage.
(5) They shall be true to their obligation as custodians of public property and shall bear in mind that the misuse and waste of public property is equally as reprehensible as the misuse or waste of money from the public treasury.
(6) They shall not limit their effectiveness in the administration of their office by accepting gratuities or favors from those with whom they may have official dealings.
(7) They shall cooperate fully with all public officials to the end that the safety and general welfare of the public will be assured. They shall not permit jealousies or personal differences to influence their cooperation with other agencies or with one another.
(8) They shall add to their effectiveness by diligent study and sincere attention to self-improvement. They shall welcome the opportunity to disseminate practical and useful information relating to matters of the public’s safety and welfare.
(9) They shall so conduct their public and private lives that the public will regard them as examples of stability, fidelity, and morality.
(10) They shall bear faithful allegiance to their government, and be loyal to their profession. They shall accept, as a sacred obligation, their responsibility as citizens to support the constitutions and laws of the United States and of the state; and as public servants, they shall consider the privilege of defending the principles of liberty, as defined in our constitutions and laws, the greatest honor that may be bestowed upon any person.
(Ord. 1991-7, passed - -)