§ 235-32. Police officers; duties; failure to arrest violators

(a) The trustees shall have power to appoint police officers not exceeding five in number, except on public occasions, when they may appoint such number of special police for that occasion as they may think necessary, by writing under their hands, who shall be qualified by taking the oath of office, and causing their said appointments to be recorded by the Clerk of said corporation; but such appointment may be revoked by a majority of said trustees, in their discretion, which revocation shall also be in writing, and be recorded by said Clerk; such police officers shall, by virtue of said appointment be informing officers, constables, and conservators of the peace within said Village, and may serve any criminal process returnable within said Village and they may also commit any person convicted of a violation of this act, or any bylaw thereof, or of any law of the State, upon mittimus, to the house of correction; and they shall be proper officers in justice criminal courts held within said Village, with full power to empanel, draw, and summon jurors before such justice courts; and a justice holding a justice court shall, in his or her discretion, designate some one of said police officers to act as officer of such court, who shall receive the same fees for his or her services as constables. And such police officers, for serving all such criminal processes as aforesaid, shall be entitled to receive therefor, the same fees as constables would be entitled to receive for the same services. Such police officers shall, upon view of any violation of this act, or of any bylaw of said Village or the laws of this State, within the limits of the Village of Ludlow, arrest the offender forthwith, and, without warrant for that purpose, convey such offender before any justice of the peace to answer complaint therefor, and may make complaint, on oath, against such offender; and, upon the trial of such complaint, shall be a competent witness; provided, if any such police officer shall so arrest any offender, he or she may commit him or her to the Village lock-up or otherwise detain him or her in safe custody, not exceeding 24 hours, at the end of which he or she shall be discharged, unless then taken before some justice of the peace to answer to the offense for which he or she was arrested, provided, further, however, that, if such arrest shall be made between sunset of Saturday and nine o'clock of the following morning, such offender shall be kept in safe custody until the next following Monday morning; and, for such arrest, and the services connected therewith, such police officer shall receive the same fees as sheriffs or constables are entitled to for the same or similar services. Said police shall, upon such arrest, forthwith notify some justice of the peace, who shall have said offender brought before him or her at once unless there is some good reason for not doing so; and said officer shall be entitled to 10 cents for every hour he or she shall have had said offender in custody, and the same shall be taxed as costs against said offender. Said police officer shall have the same right to demand assistance from any person or persons which sheriffs and constables now have, and any person refusing to assist such police officer shall be subject to the same fines and penalties as now provided by law for refusing to assist a sheriff or constable in making an arrest.

(b) If the said police officers, or any one of them, neglect or refuse to arrest any person guilty of violating any provisions of this act, or of the bylaws of said Village relating to gaming, public or private nuisances, immoderate riding or driving in the streets, cruelty to animals, playing of ball, firing of rockets, squibs, firecrackers, or disturbing the peace in other ways, shall be fined not less than five dollars or more than $20.