Tennessee § 5-7-118 - County security officers — Standards — Police powers.

§ 5-7-118. County security officers — Standards — Police powers.

The county mayor or the county mayor's designee is authorized to establish policies pursuant to which a suitable number of persons may be employed and commissioned as county security officers. All security officers employed pursuant to this section must meet the minimum certification requirements of the peace officers standards and training commission. The county mayor or the county mayor's designee is authorized to establish such other minimum qualifications for employment as security officers as deemed appropriate; however, the qualifications for security officers permitted to carry firearms or other arms while on duty shall be at least equivalent to the certification requirements of the peace officers standards and training commission. When properly commissioned and qualified in accordance with the policies of the county mayor or the county mayor's designee, the security officers shall have all the police powers necessary to enforce all state laws and duly enacted county ordinances. The authority hereby granted extends to all facilities or property owned, leased or operated by the county. This section only applies in any county having a population in excess of eight hundred thousand (800,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census. Acts 1996, ch. 716, § 2; 2003, ch. 90, § 2. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2003, ch. 90, § 2, directed the code commission to change all references from “county executive” to “county mayor” and to include all such changes in supplements and replacement volumes for the Tennessee Code Annotated. For table of U.S. decennial populations of Tennessee counties, see Volume 13 and its supplement. Cross-References. Option to redesignate county mayor as county executive by private act, § 5-6-101 . Attorney General Opinions. County security officers employed as campus, housing, airport and other local security officers, are required to be certified under T.C.A. § 5-7-118 , OAG 03-095, 2003 Tenn. AG LEXIS 111 (7/28/03).