Section 25-A. Fingerprints of persons before appointment as town policemen, or as constables possessing powers in criminal matters

No person  shall
  be  appointed  or  reappointed  a  member of the police department, or a
  special policeman, or a constable not limited to powers  and  duties  in
  civil  actions  and  proceedings  only,  in  any  town,  who  shall  not
  previously,  for  the  purposes  of   this   section,   have   submitted
  fingerprints  of  his  two  hands  to  the  town board or other board or
  officer of the town  empowered  by  law  to  make  such  appointment  or
  reappointment, and it shall be the duty of such board or officer, before
  making  such  appointment  or  reappointment,  to compare or cause to be
  compared such fingerprints with fingerprints filed with the division  of
  criminal identification of the state department of correction; provided,
  however,  that  in  any  case  where the fingerprints of any such person
  shall once have been submitted pursuant to this section and are on  file
  with  the  board  empowered to make the appointment or reappointment, no
  new submission thereof shall  be  required,  nor  shall  such  board  be
  required  to make or cause to be made such comparison if such comparison
  shall  have  been  made  previously  pursuant  to   this   section   and
  certification thereof by such department is on file with such board.