1961 747 Ordinance - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 5. be in command of his temper. He must not use harsh, vile, coarse, profane or insolent language, and when required, act with firmness and energy. When a question is asked of him, by any person, he is not to answer in an abrupt manner, but courteously and thoroughly. xt the same time, while on duty, he is to avoid, as much as~possible, entering into unnecessary con- versation with anyone. He shall, in a respectful manner, give his name to all persons who may ask for same. Section IV. (a) Members of the kuxiliary Police are expressly commanded to co- operate with each other, and expressly with the officers and members of the regular Police Depart went of the Village of Mayfield, in the perform- ance of public duty, irrespective to assignments, in order that the best interest of the community and the Department of Police be served. Section V. The rules and regulations of police departments are in effect the standards of ethics for the profession. The public demands of its servants more exacting and exemplary conduct than it expects of private citizens. It is an inescapable fact that a pub- lic official has no private life; as soon as he enters public service, and so long as he remains therein, his conduct, whether on or off duty, will be subjected to the unrelenting scrutiny and critical analysis of the pub- lic he serves. The agents of law enforcement, by reason of their specific responsibilities, are bound to a more exacting code than any other public servant. Delinquencies in conduct that pass unchallenged, when committed by other public officials, and acts that are accepted as commonplace in judging the conduct of other citizens, are adjudged reprehensible when com- mitted by a policeman. Under normal conditions the public is not particularly critical of the police service. Citizens are usually quick to acclaim sincere and dili- gent effort of their protectors, and they will even condone errors and failure if it is evident that the blunder occurred while the officer was acting in good faith. If the public is aroused by reason of misfeasance or malfeasance of the police service, and assumes a critical attitude, public resentment will mount rapidly, and is most difficult to overcome. Listed below are ten rules of official police conduct that have ap- plication to officers of all police departments: (a) Policemen shall be habitually courteous; they shall recognize their responsibilities as public servants and shall be particularly atten- tive to citizens seeking assistance or information or who desire to regist- ' er complaints or give evidence. (b) They shall accept their responsibility to the public by being punctual in their engagements and expeditious in the performance of their duties.