West Virginia Code 8-14-1 – Power and authority with respect to the preservation of law and order; police force or departments
Every municipality shall have plenary power and authority to protect persons and property within the municipality and preserve law and order therein, and, for this purpose, to provide for, establish, equip and maintain a police force or department. The police force or department in each municipality shall be subject to the authority, control and discipline of the administrative authority.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 8-14-1
- Administrative authority: shall mean the officer, commission, or person responsible for the conduct and management of the affairs of the municipality in accordance with the charter, general law, and the ordinances, resolutions, and orders of the governing body thereof. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
For the purposes of this article, the term "paid police department" shall be taken to mean only a municipal police department maintained and paid for out of public funds and whose employees are paid on a full-time basis out of public funds. The term shall not be taken to mean a department whose employees are paid nominal salaries or wages or are only paid for services actually rendered on an hourly basis.