Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

.’ 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