Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1985 )

.’
The Attorney General of Texas
-.Decembcr 2. 1905
JIM MAlTOX
Attorney General
Suprcm6 Cowl BulldIng Honorable term1 1. Smith Opinion lo. m-386
P.0.Box12545 chairm6n
AUCIln.lx 75711.2545 comictee on Crimfml Jurispmdcncr Rc: Whether an aldentanof 6
51Y4752501
Tcxar Eoure of Rcyresentetives general ldw city uay 8eave l*
Telex 5la574.1267
P. 0. Box 2910 a member of that city's police
Td.coplrr 5121475-0255
betin, Texas Xl69 reeenw
714 Jackson. Suitr700 Dear Representative Smith:
Dall6c,~ 752024505
214n42a644
You reque8t w opinion on the follwlng question:
a24 AIbmC AVE..Sulle 160 Can m 6lderwn on the city council of l
El P6ao.TX. 198052763 general ltav city legally se-e as a member of that
615f533.3464 same ciq’8 police rererrre?
loolT*x4s.sullr 700 Article 9986, V.T.C.S., authorizes a general lav city to
wouslon.Tx. 77002.3111 eetabli6h a pollctc re6erve force:
7cmm
: (a) body of en7 city.
The governing tom. or
Village for the l6tabllstment
:u6y provide of 6
we Broulrry.Suilo 312
Luboock.tx 764013r7s ;dFz,., ceawy,e ~fo~tiori;ber6 of the police
6ce747-5255 f f 6hall be appointed
‘at the~dircretioo of the chiei of police and shall
oeme OII puce officeF6,. during the actual dis-
008 N. TmIh, SUII.8
charge of officiel duties~. :..;~
McN6n. lx. 7wol-1565 .
512l662d647
(b) ,% governing body s&l l6trblirb quali-
fiutionr and standard6 of tr6inins for members of
200 MIllIPlU& Suit.No
``t``l``~i,I.c````~=e~d msP lfmit the size
sari ~ntodo. Tx. 762052767
512/22541s1
(4 No person
`` appointed
to the police reserve
force y cm- 8 veapon or
otherviee act es l
p ea c e o ffic er u ntil h e I166 beeo l p p r wed by the
pvernimlg body. titer lpprwal. he UI earn l
ve66on onlr yhen lutho&ed by the -Chief - of
Police,, and- when dirctirgin$ official duties a6 a
duly ecmrtituted puce officer.
(d) kkmbers of the police reseme force serve
at the discretion of the chief of police end may
be callscd into remice at my time the chief of
RonOr6bL6 ferr61 Il. Soitb - I’eSe 2 (M-386)
r
police COn6ider6 it neee6mry to have ldditionel
officers to preruve the puce rod enforce the
~16V.
(e) llemben af the police .rememe force uy
,seme without eompme~tion but the governing body
6~ prwide uuifom compen66tiou for members of
the police reserve force. The compens6tio6 shell
be b66ed solely qon time rerved by l peder of
the police reeerwc fotee vhile in treinins for, or
in the perform&Inca of, officiel dutier.
.cer, end reserve (
6th benefits 6et cut %n Chapter
66
86, Acts of the 60th Legialrture, Regul6r Sc6sion,
1967, 66 6mended (Article 622Sf. Vernon's Texas
Civil Statutes). prwided. hwev6r. that nothing
in thi6 Act 6he1.1 be construed to 6utborize or
petmit 6 member aIf the police re6eme force to
becoue eligiblr for p6rticip6tioo in 6ny peurion
fund crated pur6mnt to St6te stetute to vhich
regul6r officerr cney become l ,.memb by er p6yroll
deductions or othc~nrire.
(8) R666q6 police OffiC6rO 6h611 6Ct only in
6 suppltoPrnt6ry,c6p6city to the reguler police
force 6nd 6h611 ‘.LIP no. c66e ls6uue the full ti6te
duties of r,&lar police officerr without first
complying dtb 6:llL requirement6 for such reguler
police officers.
(h) This Act doer not lfmit the pwer of the
uyor of my gwerel-kv city to 6unnon into
service l 6pccirl police force, 66 prwided by
Article 995, Rrri6ed Civil St6tuteo of Tex66.
1925. (Eoph66is ldded) .
The city council hm conofldlerable supervisory pwer wer the police
reseme. The council lst6b:lisbes tbe force end determine6 it6 size.
It sets qu6lifiestions 6nd tr6ininS stend6rdr for member6 and
determiner vbetber they rh611 receive compen66tion 6nd ho6pit61 6nd
medic61 6srist6nce. No inclividuel member of the police re6eme force
m6y C6rry 6 Ye6pon or otherraise 6Ct 66 6 police officer until he h66
been 6pproved by the city council. &
p. 1768
’ .
Ronor6ble Terre1 1. Smith a. P6Se 3 (RI-386)
In our opinion. tba! coIIIDon In, doctrine
of incomp6tibility
prohibits an eldermen on xhe city councilSener61 16~ city
of l from
lewin``6 e member of the city's police reseme. This doctrine
prevents one perron frw boldinS two offices if the duties lr6 in
conflict or if one 16 &bl,rdinate to the other.
District So. 1, 50 S.W.2d :
other grounds 6ub nom. Prultt v. Glen Rome Independent School District
No. 1, 84 S.W.2d 1000 T;:. 1935) ; Attoruey Cenerel. Opinionm m-203
pA;pv-303 (19071. Sea!
--- 6160 Stete v. Martin, 51 S.U.2d 615 (Tex.
. . - Snn Antonio 15,32, no vrit). Coasideratioer of incompati-
bility al60 bar 6 public csfflcer from rppointing himself to en office
or employment over vhich lrtr holds the appointive paver. Eblinger v.
Clark. 8 S.W.Zd 666 (Tex. 1928); Attorney Gmnerd Letter Advi6ory No.
ii$7l975); see al60 Starr County v. Cuerra. 297 S.W.?d 379 (Tar. Civ.
. - Ssn Antonio 1956, no vrit). Although 8 member of the re6eme
is appointed by the police: chief, he MY not exercise the poverr of a
peace officer until the city council 6pprwer hi6 lppointnent.
V.T.C.S. art. 9986(c). The city council’m 6pprov61 power rerembler a
rbared povcr to rppoiot. Attoruey General Letters
Advisory g06. 156, 132 rbared pov8r to l p p o ic t
in context of nepotism +ertion). In viev of the city council'6
supervision and other 6ul.bority over member6 of the police. reserve
force, and the accountabi:l!Lty of police resewe force member6 to the
city council. a member of the city council may not 6etve on the city's
police re6eme.
SUMWART .
Article 996a, V.T.C.S., Sives the city council
con6iderable 6uIeKVisO9 authority over MtDber6 Of
the police re66crre force and uk46 the force
accountsble to the city eouoeil. The cow00 l~v
doctrine of ir.comp~tibility therefore bars an
alderman on the city council of l general lav city
from also serv1r.g es a member of the city's police
re6erv•.
Very truly your
.
J-J~
JIM UATTOX
Attorney Gener61 of Texas
JACX RIGEITMR
yir6t A66i6tant Attorney (k!oeral
gonorable terrrl 1. Smith - pege 4 (``-386)
NARYRELLER
Executive Assistant Attorney General
ROBERT GMT
Special &rirtont AttorSey ~;arner&l
RICR GILPIN
Chairmm, Gpfnion Coumittee
Prepared by Swan L. Garrim~n
Ammiot6nt Attorney General
APPROVED:
OPINION COM4ITTEE
RI& Gilpin, Chaiamw
Colin Carl
SU6m G6rri6OU
Tony Gull109
Jim Moellinger
Jennifer Riggs
Nancy Sutton
Sarah Vqelk
BNCe Youngblood
-- .Z
,
p. 1770