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MANUAL OF THE POLICE FORCE
OF THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL,
JULY, 1890

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AN ACT
for the Government
of the
ST. PAUL POLICE FORCE.

SECTION I. The Police Department of the City of St. Paul shall consist of the Mayor, who shall be the chief executive officer, and head of the department; a Chief of Police, four (4) captains, seven (7) lieutenants, ten (10) sergeants, one (1) chief of detectives, four (4) detectives and as many policemen, patrolmen and police officers as may be authorized by the Common Council of said city, with the approval of the Mayor. The Mayor shall appoint the Chief of Police, the captain, the detectives, the sergeants and all policemen, patrolmen and police officers, at any time appertaining to the Police Department of said city, and by whatever name designated, with the advice and consent of the Common Council; but no person shall be eligible to the appointment as captain, sergeant, detective, policeman, patrolman or other police officer who is not a citizen of the United States, nor under the age of thirty-five (35) years, able to read and write the English language, a resident of the City of St. Paul for at least two (2) years preceding his appointment, and who is not of good health and physique; the standard of admission into the army of the United States, as established by examination, to govern in this particular. And any officer or member of the Police Department who may be appointed by the Mayor may be by him removed from office whenever in his opinion the welfare of the city demands such removal.

Provided, That such removal shall not take effect until notice thereof is given to the Common Council, and the action of the Mayor is concurred in by a majority vote of the entire number of members elect of said council and such removal may be made without charges having been made by the Mayor of said city by two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members elect of said Common Council; And provided also, that the Mayor may remove any officer or member of said Police Department any time within six (6) months from the date when such officer or member shall be appointed as in this section.

Provided, In case of riots he shall appoint such other policemen as he may deem necessary for the preservation of the public peace. And at the request of any corporation, firm or persons, may appoint and commission one or more special policemen to do duty for said corporation, firm or persons, which special policemen shall have all the authority now conferred by law upon policemen; Provided, however, that such special policemen shall receive no compensation from the City of St. Paul.

The detective force of the City of St. Paul shall be under the charge and control of the Chief of Police who shall have authority to suspend any or either of them from duty whenever in his opinion the good of the service requires it, and while so suspended they shall receive no compensation for services.

All officers and members of the police force appointed as in this section provided severally hold their offices until vacated by death, res1gnat1on, or until they shall be removed as provided above. All officers, policemen and patrolmen shall perform all the duties and be subject to all the rules and regulations which now are or may hereafter be prescribed by the Common Council. (As amended, Session Laws of 1889, approved March 9, 1889.)

SEC. 2. The Chief of Police and all the police officers or members of the police force subordinate to him shall possess the power of constables at common law, and by the statute law of this state. They shall execute and serve all warrants, process, commitments and all writs whatever issued by the judge of the Municipal Court, for any violation of the laws of this state, or of the ordinances or bylaws of said city, and they shall have power to pursue and arrest any person fleeing from justice in any part of this state; and when performing the duties of constables for any violation of law other than ordinances of said city shall be entitled to the fees that constables receive for like duties; Provided, that no member of this department shall go outside the limits of said city in pursuit of any offender, or to execute any warrant or process, except in the case of offenses committed within said city.

SEC. 3. All the officers of this department and all the aldermen of the city, and all justices of the peace within the city, shall be officers of the peace, and may command the peace, suppress in a summary manner all rioting and disorderly behavior within the limits of the city, and for such purpose may command the assistance of all by-standers, and, if necessary, of all citizens and military con1panies; and if any citizen, by-stander, military officer or private shall refuse to aid in maintaining the peace, when so required, every such person shall forfeit and pay a fine of fifty dollars. And in cases where civil power may be required to suppress riots or disorderly behavior, the officers of this department, if any such are present, shall direct the proceeding , and if no such officer be present, then the same shall be directed by the superior or senior of the officers above named, not members of this department, who may be present.

SEC. 4. The Mayor and Chief of Police are authorized and required to make all needful rules and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of this state, or the ordinances of this city, for the government and control of the Police Department, and with a view to making this department, and all the officers and agents appointed under it, efficient, vigilant, prompt and useful to the ' city. All rules and regulations made in pursuance hereof shall be in writing, signed by the aforesaid officers, and shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk, and shall be binding upon all the persons connected with this department. A small book containing this chapter, and such ordinances and regulations as may be adopted, shall be printed in legible type, and securely bound with leather; the Chief of Police shall deliver one of said books to each member of the department, who shall always have the same in his possession, and make himself thoroughly acquainted with its contents by frequent perusal.

SEC. 5. Any member of the Police Department who shall accept from any person while in custody, or after he shall have been discharged, or from any of his friends, or any other person, any gratuity or reward, or any description of drink; or who shall receive from any person, without the written permission of the Mayor, any reward for the arrest of any thief, or recovery of any goods or money, or compensation for damages sustained in the discharge of his duty, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be subject to a fine of not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars.

SEC. 6. The officers and privates shall be required, while on duty, to wear a blue cloth cap, with emblems of their respective offices, and number of the police in metallic letters and figures over the visor, also a star, to be designated by the Mayor and the Chief of Police, and also a regulation uniform, substantially like that worn by the police force of other cities.

SEC. 7. That where stolen or lost property of any kind shall come into the hands of the Police Department of the City of St. Paul, and not be identified, claimed and proven to belong to said claimant, and the true owner is unknown, the said property may be sold by order of the Mayor, after ten days' notice, by three publications in the official paper of the City of St. Paul, and the proceeds shall be placed in the City Treasury, to the credit of the Mayor, as a contingent fund, and subject to his order, for police purposes. All expenses of keeping, storing, handling, and such as may be necessarily incident to proper care of any personal property, shall be first paid by the Mayor, or under his orders, and receipt taken therefor, and the balance only paid to the Treasurer on due receipt therefor; Provided, that no such personal property shall ever be sold, so long as such property is required to be used as evidence in any criminal or civil case, except it is done on order of court, which power is hereby expressly given to any court in this state, on motion and on proper facts shown to said court. (S. L. 1876, chap. 86, sec. 6.)

SEC. 8. The Chief of Police of the City of St. Paul shall, from time to time, whenever requested by the County Attorney of Ramsey county, detail any one of the detectives of said county named by said County Attorney, for such aid and services as may be necessary and required by said attorney in any criminal case, and such person so detailed shall be paid, by the Board of County Commissioners of said city, only the fees of a constable for such services and mileage. (S. L. 1883, chap. 2, sec. 20.)