Section 7-207 - Police force.
§ 7-207. Police force.
(a) Power to establish and maintain.- The Administration shall establish and maintain a police force to provide protection for its patrons, personnel, and all railroad facilities and transit facilities owned, leased, or operated upon, by, or under the control of the Administration. The police force is charged with the responsibility of enforcing the applicable laws, ordinances and regulations of the State and political subdivisions and the rules and regulations of the Administration.
(b) Powers of officers.-
(1) A Maryland Transit Administration police officer has all the powers granted to a peace officer and a police officer of this State. These powers may be exercised only on property owned, leased, or operated upon, by, or under the control of the Administration and not on any other property unless:
(i) Engaged in fresh pursuit of a suspected offender;
(ii) Specially requested or permitted to do so in a political subdivision by its chief executive officer or its chief police officer; or
(iii) Ordered to do so by the Governor.
(2) Members of the police force have concurrent jurisdiction in the performance of their duties with the law enforcement agencies of the State and of the political subdivisions in which any transit facility or railroad facility of the Administration is located or in which the Administration operates any transit service or railroad service. Nothing contained in this section relieves the State or a political subdivision or agency thereof from a duty to provide police, fire and other public safety service and protection or affects the jurisdiction of other police, fire, and public safety agencies.
(c) Standards.-
(1) In consultation with the Maryland Police Training Commission, the Administrator, with the approval of the Secretary, shall adopt standards, qualifications, and prerequisites of character, training, education, human and public relations, and experience for Maryland Transit Administration police officers, including standards for the performance of their duties.
(2) The Administrator shall adopt standards similar to the standards adopted for the Department of State Police.
(d) Operation and conduct.- The Administrator with the approval of the Secretary shall adopt rules and regulations governing the operation and conduct of the Maryland Transit Administration police force.
(e) Functions and responsibilities.- The Administration may enter into agreements with railroad companies, political subdivisions, and public safety agencies, including those of the federal government, for the delineation of the functions and responsibilities of the Administration's police force.
(f) Issuance of citations.- The Maryland Transit Administration police force may issue citations for violations of the rules and regulations adopted by the Administration under this title.
[1982, ch. 376; 1992, ch. 127, § 2; 1994, ch. 165, § 3; ch. 166, § 3; 1995, ch. 3, § 2; 2001, ch. 730; 2005, ch. 517.]