{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-70.540","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 70.540","heading":"County police force authorized -- Jurisdiction -- Appointment --","body":"Qualifications -- Term -- Oath -- Officers.\nThe county judges/executive of the respective counties shall have and are hereby given\nthe power, jurisdiction and authority to establish, appo int and maintain a county police\nforce within their respective counties, all of the members and officers of which shall have\nand are hereby given jurisdiction coextensive with the whole county for which they are\nappointed. Such police force may consist of a chief and such member, rank and grade\nsubordinate to the chief, and such clerical and skilled employees as the county\njudge/executive shall deem proper. All of the members and employees of the county\npolice force shall be appointed by the county judge/executive and shall serve for a term of\none (1) year from the date of their respective appointments, unless sooner removed by the\ncounty judge/executive for neglect of duty or improper conduct. All members of the force\nshall be citizens of the United States not less than twenty -one (21) years of age and\nresidents of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. None but discreet and sober persons shall\nbe appointed to any position on said county police force. Each of the members of the said\ncounty police force shall take an oath, before the county judge/executive of their county,\nto faithfully, impartially and diligently perform the duties of their respective offices.\nProvided, however, that the chief officer of the county police force of any county may be\ndesignated, in the discretion of the county judge/executive of said county, as captain or\nany other appropriate title, and such county police force in any county may consist of one\n(1) or more commanding officers, as the county judge/executive of such county may\ndeem proper or adequate.","path":["KRS Chapter 70"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=24245","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:49:32Z","sha256":"521d3290308cb1c0698814694d82e67fff1e5be900c0a7d997062dff74ce0481","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-70.530","next":"us-ky/krs-70.542"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}