Pennsylvania § 16512 - Duty of police.

§ 16512. Duty of police.

(a) Arrest and initial appearance.--The police, county park police or guards appointed to duty in a recreation place, building and other county-owned property may:

(1) Arrest, without warrant, an offender against the rules and regulations, ordained or resolved by the county commissioners, that the police, county park police or guards appointed to duty may detect in the commission of an offense.

(2) Take the offender before a magisterial district judge having competent jurisdiction.

(b) Primary jurisdictional area for county park police.--In the ordinance creating a county park police force, the county commissioners shall designate a primary jurisdictional area where the county park police officers shall have jurisdiction. The primary jurisdictional area shall include only property owned, leased or controlled by the county, by a county municipal authority, county redevelopment authority, county industrial development authority or agency, county airport authority or by a community college of which the county is a local sponsor, whether the property is within or outside the territorial limits of the county. A county road, street or highway may not be designated or considered as a primary jurisdictional area unless it is located within the boundaries of a geographical area otherwise designated by ordinance as a primary jurisdictional area under this section.

(c) County park police powers and duties.--County park police shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To enforce good order and protect the grounds and buildings within a primary jurisdictional area.

(2) To exclude all disorderly persons from the grounds and buildings within a primary jurisdictional area.

(3) To exercise the same powers that may be exercised under authority of law or ordinance by the police of the municipalities in which the primary jurisdictional area is located, including those powers conferred under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 89 Subch. D (relating to municipal police jurisdiction).

(4) To prevent crime, investigate criminal acts, apprehend, arrest and charge criminal offenders and issue summary citations for acts committed on the grounds and in the buildings of the primary jurisdictional area and take the offender before the proper authority and issue charges against the offender under the laws of this Commonwealth. Except when acting under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 89 Subch. D, county park police shall exercise these powers and perform these duties only on the grounds of the primary jurisdictional area.

(5) To order off the grounds and out of the buildings within the primary jurisdictional area all vagrants, loafers, trespassers and persons under the influence of liquor and, if necessary, remove them by force and, in case of resistance, transport the offenders to the proper authority.

(6) To arrest an individual who damages, mutilates or destroys the trees, plants, shrubbery, turf, grass plots, benches, buildings and structures or commits any other offense on the grounds and in the buildings within the primary jurisdictional area and transport the offender to the proper authority and prefer charges against the offender under the laws of this Commonwealth.

(d) Chief and other designations.--The county commissioners shall designate, from the county park police officers, the chief and other ranks or classifications of officers as desired by the county commissioners.