DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Part of Charter of the City of Columbus. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Cross References Residency of director - see ADM. 129.01 Divisions of police and fire - see Title Nineteen - POLICE AND FIRE DIVISIONS CODE Sealer of weights and measures - see WGHTS. & M. Ch. 2901 Division of regulations - see BLDG. I Ch. 4105 Sec. 101. - General powers and duties of director. Under the direction of the mayor, the director of public safety shall be the executive head of the division of police and fire. The public safety director shall have all powers and duties connected with and incident to the appointment, regulation, and government of the department, except as otherwise provided by this charter. The public safety director shall keep a record of all proceedings. (Amended 11-5-74; 11-3-98.) Sec. 101-1. - Appointment of police and fire chiefs. The director of public safety shall appoint the chief of the police division and the chief of the fire division. Each chief, as appointed, shall serve in the classified service for an initial term of five (5) years. A chief so appointed may be re-appointed for not more than one (1) additional term of five (5) years. (Adopted 7-19-99.) Sec. 102. - Division of police. The division of police shall be composed of a chief and such police officers and other employees as may be provided by ordinance of council. In case of riot or like emergency the mayor may appoint additional police officers for temporary service who need not be in the classified service. (Amended 11-3-98.) Sec. 103. - [Control by chief of police.] Under the direction of the director of public safety, the chief of the division of police shall have control of all police stations and substations, and of the stationing and transfer of all police officers and employees constituting the division of police. (Amended 11-3-98.) Sec. 104. - [Special police officers.] No person shall act as special police officer or special detective for any purpose whatsoever, except upon written authority from the director of public safety, and when so authorized shall act under the direction and control of the chief of police and for a specified time, not to exceed six (6) months. (Amended 11-3-98.) Sec. 105. - Division of fire. The division of fire shall be composed of a chief of the division and such other officers, firefighters and employees as may be provided by ordinance or resolution of the council. In case of riot, conflagration, or like emergency, the mayor may appoint additional firefighters and officers for temporary service, who need not be in the classified service. (Amended 11-3-98.) Sec. 106. - [Control by fire chief.] Under the direction of the director of public safety the chief of the division of fire shall have control of the stationing and transfer of all firefighters and other officers and employees constituting the division of fire. (Amended 11-3-98.) Sec. 107. - Removal of chiefs. While either the chief of police or the chief of fire holds the position as provided in this charter, the director of public safety shall have the exclusive right to suspend either chief for incompetence, inefficiency, dishonesty, drunkenness, immoral conduct, insubordination, neglect of duty, or any other act of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, or for conviction of a felony. Upon suspension of either chief, the director of public safety shall immediately certify the fact, together with charges that are the cause of such suspension, to the civil service commission, which within sixty (60) days from the date of its receipt of such notice, shall commence a hearing upon the charges and render judgment thereon in an expeditious manner, which judgment may be suspension, reduction in rank or dismissal, and shall be final. (Amended 7-19-99.) Sec. 108. - Suspension in fire and police division. The chiefs of the divisions of police and fire shall have the exclusive right to suspend any of the officers or employees in their respective divisions, for incompetence, gross neglect of duty, gross immorality, habitual drunkenness, failure to obey orders given by the proper authority, or for any other just and reasonable cause. If any officer or employee be suspended, as herein provided, the chief of the division concerned shall forthwith in writing certify the fact, together with the cause for the suspension, to the director of public safety, who, within five (5) days from the receipt thereof shall proceed to inquire into the cause of such suspension and render judgment thereon, which judgment, if the charge be sustained, may be suspension, reduction in rank or dismissal, and such judgment in the matter shall be final, except as otherwise hereinafter provided. The director of public safety, in any such investigation, shall have the same power to administer oaths and secure the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers, as is conferred upon the council. Sec. 109. - Appeal to civil service commission. Any person in the division of police or fire under the exclusive control of the chief thereof, who is suspended, reduced in rank or dismissed from the department by the director of public safety may appeal from the decision of such officer to the civil service commission within ten (10) days from and after the date of such suspension, reduction or dismissal. In such event said director shall, upon notice from the commission of such appeal, forthwith transmit to the commission a copy of the charges and proceedings thereunder. The commission shall hear such appeal within ten (10) days from and after the filing of the same with the commission and may affirm, disaffirm or modify the judgment of the director of public safety, and its judgment in the matter shall be final. Sec. 110. - Classification of employees in divisions of police and fire. The director of public safety shall classify the service in the divisions of police and fire, in conformity with the ordinance of the council declaring the number of persons to be employed therein, and shall make rules for the regulation and discipline of such divisions consistent with the provisions of this charter. Sec. 111. - Relief of police and firefighters. The council may provide by general ordinance for the relief, out of the police and fire funds, of members of the division of police and fire temporarily or permanently disabled in the discharge of their duty. Nothing herein shall impair, restrict, or repeal any provision or general law authorizing the levying of taxes to provide for firefighters, police, and sanitary police pension funds, and to create and perpetuate boards of trustees for the administration of such funds. (Amended 11-3-98.) Sec. 112. - Division of public welfare. (Repealed 11-5-74.) Sec. 112-1. - Division of building regulation. (Repealed 11-5-74; renumbered 11-3-98.) Sec. 112-2. - Division of weights and measures. (Repealed 11-5-74; renumbered 11-3-98.)