Sec. 29-22. Volunteer auxiliary force.
Sec. 29-22. Volunteer auxiliary force. The Commissioner of Public Safety is authorized to recruit, train and organize a volunteer police auxiliary force for the purpose
of providing emergency services throughout the state for peacetime or wartime emergencies or threatened emergencies and for augmenting the state police force in such manner
as the Commissioner of Public Safety may deem appropriate. Such volunteer police
auxiliary force shall at all times be under the direction of said commissioner and subject
to the rules and regulations of the Division of State Police within the Department of
Public Safety. The total membership of the auxiliary force shall not exceed in number
twice the authorized strength prescribed in section 29-4 for the state police, and such
auxiliary force may be equipped with uniforms prescribed by the commissioner and
delegated special police powers for specific emergency police duties. The commissioner
may, within available appropriations, provide subsistence and maintenance to the volunteer police auxiliary force when called to duty. In the event of participation in emergency
services, the members of the volunteer police auxiliary force shall have the same immunities and privileges as apply to the organized militia and to the regular members of the
Division of State Police. All members of the volunteer police auxiliary force shall be
compensated for death, disability or injury incurred while in training for or on auxiliary
state police duty under the provisions of this section as follows: (1) Employees of the
state, municipalities or political subdivisions of the state who are members of the volunteer police auxiliary force and for whom such compensation is provided by any provision
of existing law shall be construed to be acting within the scope of their employment
while in training for or engaged in auxiliary state police duty and shall be compensated
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 568 and sections 5-142 and 5-144. (2) Any
persons who are engaged in regular employment apart and separate from their duties
as members of the volunteer police auxiliary force and for whom such compensation is
not so provided shall, while in training for or engaged in duties under the provisions of
this section, be construed to be employees of the state for the purpose of chapter 568
and sections 5-142 and 5-144, and shall be compensated by the state in accordance with
the provisions of said chapter and sections.
(1951, S. 1990d; 1963, P.A. 618; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 610; P.A. 96-230, S. 1, 3.)
History: 1963 act clarified provisions, authorized use of auxiliary force for "peace time or war time emergencies or
threatened emergencies and for augmenting the state police force ..." where previously its use was for "disasters caused
by fires, explosions or floods and for such threatened disasters" and added references to compensation under Secs. 5-142
and 5-144; P.A. 77-614 made state police department a division within the department of public safety and replaced
commissioner of state police with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 96-230 made technical
change, specifying that aid to volunteer police auxiliary forces be "within available appropriations", effective July 1, 1996.