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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY D. O'BRIEN, DAVIS, HARHAI, PASHINSKI, SWANGER AND VULAKOVICH, MAY 2, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MAY 2, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Requiring law enforcement officers to wear appropriate safety |
2 | gear while serving certain warrants. |
3 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
4 | hereby enacts as follows: |
5 | Section 1. Short title. |
6 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal |
7 | Police Officer Warrant Service Safety Act. |
8 | Section 2. Declarations. |
9 | The General Assembly declares that it is the public policy of |
10 | this Commonwealth to provide adequate protection to law |
11 | enforcement officers that engage in the high risk service of |
12 | arrest warrants. |
13 | Section 3. Definitions. |
14 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
15 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
16 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
17 | "High risk warrant of arrest." A warrant of arrest issued |
18 | for a person involved in any of the following instances: |
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1 | (1) The person has taken or is likely to take hostages. |
2 | (2) The person has created or is likely to create a |
3 | stand-off with law enforcement by refusing to comply with |
4 | police demands for surrender or use of fortification. |
5 | (3) The person is known to be armed or potentially armed |
6 | and the likelihood of armed resistance is high. |
7 | "Law enforcement officer." A person who by virtue of the |
8 | person's office or public employment is vested by law with a |
9 | duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for offenses, |
10 | whether that duty extends to all offenses or is limited to |
11 | specific offenses. |
12 | Section 4. Required equipment. |
13 | A law enforcement officer or team of officers that executes a |
14 | high risk warrant of arrest shall be equipped with appropriate |
15 | safety gear, including ballistic helmets and body armor. |
16 | Section 10. Effective date. |
17 | This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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