NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1965 SESSION

CHAPTER 662

HOUSE BILL 675

AN ACT TO PROVIDE AND ESTABLISH A VOLUNTEER POLICE AUXILIARY FOR THE RURAL POLICE SYSTEM OF GASTON COUNTY.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. The Board of Commissioners of Gaston County may by proper resolution provide for the organization, recruiting, training, equipping, and appointing of auxiliary policemen for Gaston County and prescribe the duties and responsibilities of such auxiliary policemen.

Sec. 2. The Auxiliary Police Force and its members shall not be under the Civil Service Board but shall be excepted therefrom and if so ordered by the Board of Commissioners of Gaston County, shall serve directly under and be responsible to the Chief of the Gaston County Rural Police whom the Board of Commissioners of Gaston County may also authorize and direct to develop standards and regulations for employment, discipline, regulations and procedures for the operation of the Volunteer Police Auxiliary Force and for the dismissal of members of said Police Auxiliary. The Chief of the Gaston County Rural Police shall make provisions for uniforms, weapons, and for such other matters and things as shall be reasonably necessary in carrying out the functions of a voluntary police auxiliary force.

Sec. 3. Auxiliary policemen shall not be entitled to compensation for their services unless called into active duty by the Board of Commissioners of Gaston County or by such person as the Board of Commissioners of Gaston County may designate, because of any emergency, in which event they may receive such compensation for their services as shall be fixed by the Board of Commissioners of Gaston County. Auxiliary policemen shall not be entitled to any benefits or compensation other than those provided by or pursuant to this Section; however, this subsection shall not in any manner affect the rights of any person to benefits provided by the State of North Carolina or by act of Congress for civilian defense workers or auxiliary policemen.

Sec. 4. Members of the Gaston County Auxiliary Police Force shall, when certified as members thereof and when on active duty have the same police powers and powers of law enforcement officers as regular members of the Gaston County Rural Police.

Sec. 5. Gaston County shall be entitled to the same immunities with respect to the action of auxiliary policemen in the performance of their duties in training or otherwise as to which it is entitled with respect to the actions of regular members of the Gaston County Rural Police Force in the performance of their duties.

Sec. 6. The volunteer police auxiliary hereby contemplated is a volunteer organization and therefore the Gaston County Board of Commissioners or the persons so delegated by the board may require as a prerequisite to service in the Volunteer Police Auxiliary Force that the prospective member enter into a release agreement which would release Gaston County from liability for any accident, injury or death incurred while on duty.

Sec. 7. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 8. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 21st day of May, 1965.