Chapter 623. Relating to the Metropolitan police of the District of Columbia
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CHAP. 623.— An Act Relating to the Metropolitan police of the District of Columbia. February 28, 1901. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, District of Columbia. Metropolitan police. That the Metropolitan police district of the District of Columbia shall be coextensive with the Dis-820trict of Columbia, and shall be subdivided as the Commissioners of the said District may from time to time direct. The Metropolitan policeComposition, etc.[R.
S., D. C., sec. 321, p. 39](/us/rs/s321/p39). force shall consist of one major and superintendent, one captain and assistant superintendent, and such number of captains, lieutenants, sergeants, privates of class two, privates of class one, desk sergeants, and others as Congress may from time to time provide. OriginalAppointments and promotions. appointments of privates shall be made to class one, and all promotions within the force shall be made according to such regulations and after such physical and mental examinations as the Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall prescribe: *Provided*, That the said Commissioners*Provisos*.Commissioners to prescribe duties, etc. shall fix the limits of age and height, and shall prescribe the duties of all officers and members of the police force: *And provided*,Removal.* further*, That no removal from the police force shall be made except on written charges and after an opportunity for defense on the part of the person against whom such charges may be made: but no person so removed shall be reappointed to any office in said police force.
Sec. 2. That the Commissioners of the District of Columbia shallBond of officers. require security to be entered into by the major and superintendent, assistant superintendent, captains, lieutenants, and all other officers who may be intrusted with the keeping of money and valuables. Sec. 3. That the Commissioners of the District of Columbia areDetail for detective work. hereby authorized to detail from time to time from the privates of the police force such number of privates as may in their judgment be necessary for special service in the detection and prevention of crime, and while serving in such capacity they shall have the rank of sergeants in the force.
Sec. 4. That hereafter the Commissioners of the District of ColumbiaFines in police court and dog license receipts available for deficiencies policeman and fireman’s fund. are hereby authorized and directed to deposit with the Treasurer of the United States, out of receipts from fines in the police court and receipts from dog licenses, a sufficient amount to meet any deficiency in the policemen’s fund or firemen’s fund: *Provided*, That the chief*Provisos*.Retirement allowance to officers of police and chief fire department. engineer of the fire department and the superintendent, assistant superintendent, any captain or lieutenant of police, in case of retirement as now provided by law. shall receive relief not exceeding one hundred dollars per month; and in case of the death from injury or disease of any of the officers named in this section, if he leave a widow or children under sixteen years of age. the same shall be for their relief during the period of widowhood, or until such children reach the age of sixteen years: *Provided*, That in no case shall the amount—limit to widow, etc. paid to a widow exceed fifty dollars per month, nor shall the amount paid for a child exceed twenty-five dollars per month.
Sec. 5. That any person practicing as a private detective or advertisingPenalty for illegal practice as private detective. or holding himself out as such without first complying with the provisions of law relative to private detectives shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or imprisonment in the district jail for a period not exceeding eleven months and twenty-nine days. Sec. 6. That the Act approved June twenty-fourth, eighteen hundredPowers of special policeman. and ninety-eight, relating to the posting of special policemen, be, and the same is hereby, amended as follows:
" “The special policemen aforesaid shall possess all the powers and authority now conferred by law upon privates in the Metropolitan police force, subject to such regulations as the Commissioners of the District of Columbia may from time to time prescribe.” " Sec. 7. That all laws inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.Repeal. Approved, February 28, 1901.