Virginia § 30-34.2:1 - Powers, duties and functions of Capitol Police

§ 30-34.2:1. Powers, duties and functions of Capitol Police

A. The Capitol Police may exercise within the limits of the Capitol Square, when assigned to any other property owned, leased, or controlled by the Commonwealth or any agency, department, institution, or commission thereof, and pursuant to the provisions of §§ 15.2-1724, 15.2-1726, and 15.2-1728 all the powers, duties, and functions that are exercised by the police of the city or the police or sheriff of the county within which such property is located.

B. The jurisdiction of the Capitol Police shall further extend 300 feet beyond the boundary of any property they are required to protect, such jurisdiction to be concurrent with that of other law-enforcement officers of the locality in which such property is located.

C. The Capitol Police shall also have concurrent jurisdiction with law-enforcement officers of the City of Richmond. In addition, a Capitol Police officer who is a detector canine handler shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the law-enforcement officers of any city or county that has requested the assistance of the Capitol Police in the detection of firearms, ammunition, explosives, propellants, or incendiaries.

D. In any case involving the theft or misappropriation of the personal property of any member or employee of the General Assembly, the Capitol Police shall have concurrent jurisdiction with law-enforcement officers of any county contiguous to the City of Richmond. Members of the Capitol Police when assigned to accompany the Governor or Governor-elect, members of the Governor's family, the Lieutenant Governor or Lieutenant Governor-elect, the Attorney General or Attorney General-elect, members of the General Assembly, or members of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals of Virginia, or when directed to serve a summons issued by the Clerk of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of Delegates, a joint committee or commission thereof, or any committee of either house, shall be vested with all the powers and authority of a law-enforcement officer of any city or county in which they are required to be. All members of the Capitol Police shall be subject to the provisions of § 2.2-1202.1 and Chapter 5 (§ 9.1-500 et seq.) of Title 9.1.

E. The assignment of jurisdiction to any property pursuant to this section shall be approved by the Legislative Support Commission.

F. The Division of Capitol Police shall have the authority to enter into contracts or agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties.

1982, c. 243; 1984, c. 149; 1988, c. 329; 1995, cc. 770, 818; 2003, cc. 231, 588; 2008, c. 437; 2012, cc. 803, 835; 2015, cc. 448, 455; 2018, cc. 579, 580; 2020, cc. 754, 897.