Pennsylvania Act 1943-210 — COMMISSIONING INSTITUTIONAL EMPLOYES AS POLICE OFFICERS

Act text

COMMISSIONING INSTITUTIONAL EMPLOYES AS POLICE OFFICERS
                  Act of May 21, 1943, P.L. 469, No. 210              Cl. 67
                                  AN ACT

     Providing for commissioning as police officers certain employes
        of institutions maintained in whole or in part by the
        Commonwealth; conferring upon them the powers of constables
        in certain cases; and imposing duties on wardens and keepers
        of jails, police stations and lock-ups.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

        Section 1.  The head of each administrative department,
     having under its jurisdiction any penal, reformatory or
     correctional institution, mental hospital, or any institution
     for feeble-minded or epileptic persons, for inebriates, or for
     juvenile delinquents and defectives, or any medical and surgical
     hospital, hospital for crippled children, sanitorium, or any
     charitable institution whatsoever within this Commonwealth,
     maintained in whole or in part by the Commonwealth, and whose
     boards of inspectors, managers, trustees, or directors are
     appointed by the Governor, shall certify to the Governor the
     names of employes of such institutions to act as police officers
     thereat. If the Governor shall approve the persons designated,
     he shall issue to each a commission, under which each employe
     shall have and exercise full power to make arrests, without
     warrant, for all violations of law which they may witness upon
     any part of the premises of the institution at which they are
     employed, and to serve and execute warrants issued by the proper
     local authorities for any violation of law committed thereon,
     and to arrest, with or without warrant, anywhere within this
     Commonwealth, any inmate of such institution that may have
     escaped therefrom, and to return him or her thereto. For such
     purposes and generally, on the premises of the institution at
     which they are employed, the persons so commissioned shall have
     all the powers and prerogatives conferred by law upon constables
     of the Commonwealth.
        Section 1.1.  Other than as provided in section 1 hereof, the
     head of each administrative department having under its
     jurisdiction any building or installation owned by the
     Commonwealth, or any building or installation, for the
     protection of which the administrative department is
     responsible, shall certify to the Governor the names of employes
     of such administrative department who shall act as police
     officers at such buildings or installations. If the Governor
     shall approve the persons designated, he shall issue to each a
     commission under which each employe shall have and exercise full
     power to make arrests without warrant for all violations of law
     which they may witness upon any part of the premises of any such
     building or installation as aforesaid, and to serve and execute
     warrants issued by the proper local authorities for any
     violation of law committed thereon or thereat. For such purposes
     and generally on the premises of such building or installation,
     the persons so commissioned shall have all the powers and
     prerogatives conferred by law upon constables of the
     Commonwealth.
        (1.1 added June 28, 1957, P.L.435, No.239)
        Section 2.  It shall be the duty of the warden of every
     county jail and the keeper of every city, borough, town or
     township, police station or lock-up, to receive every person
     arrested by any employe of an institution, or by any employe of
     an administrative department so commissioned by the Governor
     under the authority hereby conferred, and to detain him or her
     until discharged by proper authority in accordance with law.
        (2 amended June 28, 1957, P.L.435, No.239)
        Section 3.  All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith
     are hereby repealed.
        Section 4.  The provisions of this act shall become effective
     immediately upon final enactment.