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. |