509.01 Designation of police constables. - Ohio Statutes

509.01 Designation of police constables.

(A) As used in this section, “felony” has the same meaning as in section 109.511 of the Revised Code.

(B) Subject to division (C) of this section, the board of township trustees may designate any qualified persons as police constables and may provide them with the automobiles, communication systems, uniforms, and police equipment that the board considers necessary. Except as provided in division (C) of this section, police constables designated under this division, who have been awarded a certificate attesting to the satisfactory completion of an approved state, county, or municipal police basic training program, as required by section 109.77 of the Revised Code, may be removed or suspended only under the conditions and by the procedures in sections 505.491 to 505.495 of the Revised Code. Any other police constable shall serve at the pleasure of the township trustees. In case of removal or suspension of a police constable by the board of township trustees, that police constable may appeal the decision of the board to the court of common pleas of the county to determine the sufficiency of the cause of removal or suspension. The police constable shall take the appeal within ten days of written notice to the police constable of the decision of the board. The board may pay each police constable, from the general funds of the township, the compensation that the board by resolution prescribes for the time actually spent in keeping the peace, protecting property, and performing duties as a police constable, including duties as an ex officio deputy bailiff of a municipal court pursuant to section 1901.32 of the Revised Code and duties as a ministerial officer of a county court. The police constable shall not be paid fees in addition to the compensation allowed by the board for services rendered as a police constable, including services as an ex officio deputy bailiff of a municipal court pursuant to section 1901.32 of the Revised Code and as a ministerial officer of a county court. All constable fees provided for by section 509.15 of the Revised Code, if due for services rendered while the police constable performing those services is being compensated as a police constable for that performance, shall be paid into the general fund of the township.

(C)(1) The board of township trustees shall not designate a person as a police constable pursuant to division (B) of this section on a permanent basis, on a temporary basis, for a probationary term, or on other than a permanent basis if the person previously has been convicted of or has pleaded guilty to a felony.

(2)(a) The board of township trustees shall terminate the employment of a police constable designated under division (B) of this section if the police constable does either of the following:

(i) Pleads guilty to a felony;

(ii) Pleads guilty to a misdemeanor pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement as provided in division (D) of section 2929.43 of the Revised Code in which the police constable agrees to surrender the certificate awarded to the police constable under section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(b) The board shall suspend from employment a police constable designated under division (B) of this section if the police constable is convicted, after trial, of a felony. If the police constable files an appeal from that conviction and the conviction is upheld by the highest court to which the appeal is taken or if the police constable does not file a timely appeal, the board shall terminate the employment of that police constable. If the police constable files an appeal that results in that police constable’s acquittal of the felony or conviction of a misdemeanor, or in the dismissal of the felony charge against the police constable, the board shall reinstate that police constable. A police constable who is reinstated under division (C)(2)(b) of this section shall not receive any back pay unless that police constable’s conviction of the felony was reversed on appeal, or the felony charge was dismissed, because the court found insufficient evidence to convict the police constable of the felony.

(3) Division (C) of this section does not apply regarding an offense that was committed prior to January 1, 1997.

(4) The suspension from employment, or the termination of the employment, of a police constable under division (C)(2) of this section shall be in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004