Mississippi § 65-1-139 - Contractors may be required to provide law enforcement safety operations in certain work zones; agreements between contractors and law enforcement agencies to provide work zone law enforcement; utilization of officers from Department of Transportation Office of Law Enforcement to perform work zone safety operations under certain circumstances.

§ 65-1-139. Contractors may be required to provide law enforcement safety operations in certain work zones; agreements between contractors and law enforcement agencies to provide work zone law enforcement; utilization of officers from Department of Transportation Office of Law Enforcement to perform work zone safety operations under certain circumstances.

The Mississippi Transportation Commission may require its contractors to provide for law enforcement safety operations in work zones that the commission determines are on high-volume roadways or on high risk projects by including such provision in a contract between the commission and the contractor or as part of a bid requirement. A contractor may provide law enforcement work zone safety operations by entering into mutually agreeable agreements with state, county and/or municipal law enforcement agencies for the provision of such operations. Any law enforcement agency that enters into such agreement with a contractor shall only provide work zone safety operation services in locations that are within the jurisdiction of the law enforcement agency, and the agency shall only have those enforcement powers granted to them by law. Contractors required to provide work zone safety operations and state law enforcement agencies, counties and municipalities are authorized to enter into agreements to effectuate the purposes of this subsection (1). If a mutually acceptable agreement between a contractor and applicable law enforcement agencies cannot be reached after good faith negotiations, the Mississippi Transportation Commission may utilize officers from the Mississippi Department of Transportation Office of Law Enforcement to perform safety operations in work zones that the commission determines are on high-volume roadways or on high risk projects. Officers of the Mississippi Department of Transportation Office of Law Enforcement are authorized to utilize any enforcement power already granted to them by law in the performance of work zone safety operations and shall engage the oscillating blue lights on their vehicles to encourage the public to observe all traffic laws while proceeding through the work zone. This subsection (2) shall not be construed as granting the Office of Law Enforcement general police powers.