Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 61 - Villages.
61.65 - Police and fire departments; pension funds.

61.65 Police and fire departments; pension funds.
(1)
(a) Except as provided under s. 61.66, each village with a population of 5,000 or more shall, and each village with a population of under 5,000 may, provide police protection services by one of the following methods:
1. Creating its own police department.
2. Contracting for police protective services with a city or town, with another village, or with a county. A village that contracts for police protective services shall pay the full cost of services provided. A village may not contract with a county to provide all of the village's police protective services under this subdivision.
3. Creating a joint police department with a city or town or with another village.
4. Abolishing its police department and entering into a contract with a county under s. 59.03 (2) (e) for the county sheriff to provide law enforcement services in all parts of the village. If the village is located in more than one county, it may not abolish its police department under this subdivision unless the village enters into a contract under this subdivision with the county in which the greatest amount of the village's equalized value, population, or territory is located. If a village wishes to abolish its police department under this subdivision, it shall act under s. 62.13 (2s), and s. 62.13 (2s), as it applies to cities, applies to villages.
(am) If a village establishes a police department and does not create a board of police commissioners singly or in combination with another municipality, or if a village board establishes a combined protective services department under s. 61.66 and does not create a board of police and fire commissioners, the village may not suspend, reduce, suspend and reduce, or remove any police chief, chief of a combined protective services department, or other law enforcement officer who is not probationary, and for whom there is no valid and enforceable contract of employment or collective bargaining agreement which provides for a fair review prior to that suspension, reduction, suspension and reduction or removal, unless the village does one of the following:
1. Establishes a committee of not less than 3 members, none of whom may be an elected or appointed official of the village or be employed by the village. The committee shall act under s. 62.13 (5) in place of a board of police and fire commissioners. The village board may provide for some payment to each member for the member's cost of serving on the committee at a rate established by the village board.
2. Appoint a person who is not an elected or appointed official of the village and who is not employed by the village. The person shall act under s. 62.13 (5) in place of a board of police and fire commissioners. The village board may provide for some payment to that person for serving under this subdivision at a rate established by the village board.
(b)
1.
a. Each village with a population of 5,000 or more but less than 5,500 that creates its own police department may create or designate a committee of the board of trustees to perform any duty conferred by the board relating to police protective services, or may create a board of police commissioners to govern the department.
b. Each village with a population of 5,000 or more that creates a joint police department with another municipality shall create a joint board of police commissioners with that municipality to govern the joint department.
2. Each village with a population of 5,500 or more that creates its own police department shall create a board of police commissioners to govern the department.
(2)
(a) Except as provided under s. 61.66, each village with a population of 5,500 or more shall provide fire protection services by one of the following methods:
1. Creating its own fire department.
2. Contracting for fire protection services with a city or town or with another village. A village that contracts for fire protection services shall pay the full cost of services provided.
3. Creating a joint fire department with a city or town or with another village.
4. Utilizing a fire company organized under ch. 213, except that this subdivision does not apply in a village that provides fire protection services under subd. 1. on December 9, 1993.
(b)
1. Each village with a population of 5,500 or more that creates its own fire department shall create a board of fire commissioners to govern the department.
2. Each village with a population of 5,500 or more that creates a joint fire department with another municipality shall create a joint board of fire commissioners with that municipality to govern the joint department.
(3g)
(a) Any village with its own board of police commissioners and its own board of fire commissioners may consolidate the boards into one board of police and fire commissioners.
(b) Municipalities with a joint protective services department shall create a joint board of commissioners to govern that department. If a village operates both of its protective services departments jointly with one municipality, the village and the other municipality may create a joint board of police and fire commissioners to govern each department. The municipalities may jointly determine the apportionment between the municipalities of costs relating to the joint department or departments and the joint board.
(c) Any village that has created one separate protective services department and one joint protective services department may authorize the joint board governing the joint department also to govern the separate protective services department, subject to the approval of the joint board. A village that receives the approval of the joint board is not required to create or maintain a separate board of commissioners to govern the separate protective services department.
(d)
1.
a. A board created under this section shall be organized in the same manner as boards of police and fire commissioners under s. 62.13 (1).
b. Municipalities creating a joint board under this section may jointly determine the number of commissioners to be appointed to the joint board by each municipality and the length of the commissioner's term. A majority of the commissioners is a quorum. The provisions of s. 62.13 pertaining to the appointment of commissioners and records of proceedings apply to the joint board.
2. Any board or joint board created under this section is subject to the provisions of s. 62.13 (2) to (12) pertaining to a board of police and fire commissioners or to appointments, promotions, suspensions, removals, dismissals, reemployment, compensation, rest days, exemptions, organization and supervision of departments, contracts and audits, to the extent that the provisions apply to 2nd or 3rd class cities. Optional powers of a joint board, listed in s. 62.13 (6), apply only if the electors in each municipality approve these powers by referendum. In applying s. 62.13, the village president has the powers and duties specified for a city mayor; the village clerk has the powers and duties specified for a comptroller; the village board has the powers and duties specified for a common council; and the village has the powers and duties specified for a city. In applying s. 62.13 to a town that creates a joint board or joint department with a village, the town chairperson has the powers and duties specified for a city mayor; the town clerk has the powers and duties specified for a comptroller; the town board of supervisors has the powers and duties specified for a common council; and the town has the powers and duties specified for a city.
3. Appointments to a board or joint board are not subject to confirmation by a village board of trustees unless required by ordinance.
(3r) Each village with a population of 5,500 or more is subject to s. 40.19 (4).
(4) Persons who are members of the police departments in villages of 5,000 or more, and members of fire departments in villages of 5,500 or more, according to the last federal census, shall automatically and without examination, become members of the police and fire departments of such villages under this section.
(5) The provisions of this section shall be construed as an enactment of statewide concern for the purpose of providing a uniform regulation of police and fire departments.
(8) Any village having a volunteer fire department shall be reimbursed by the department of transportation not to exceed $500 for any fire call on a state trunk highway or any highway that is a part of the national system of interstate highways maintained by the department of transportation if the village submits written proof that the village has made a reasonable effort to collect the cost from the insurer of the person to whom the fire call was provided or from the person to whom the fire call was provided, except that the village may attempt to collect the cost from the person only if the village is unsuccessful in its efforts to collect from the person's insurer or if the person has no insurer. If the village collects the cost from an insurer or such person after the department reimburses the village, the village shall return the amount collected to the department.
History: 1975 c. 94 s. 91 (5); 1975 c. 199; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (8) (d); 1977 c. 182; 1979 c. 256; 1981 c. 96 s. 67; 1981 c. 171; 1985 a. 166; 1987 a. 27, 399; 1993 a. 16, 77, 213; 2003 a. 205; 2005 a. 40; 2009 a. 173; 2011 a. 32.
Sub. (1) (am) applies to all villages, including those with populations of less than 5,000. Rychnovsky v. Village of Fall River, 146 Wis. 2d 417, 431 N.W.2d 681 (Ct. App. 1988).

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