53-13-103 - Law enforcement officer.
53-13-103. Law enforcement officer.
(1) (a) "Law enforcement officer" means a sworn and certified peace officer who is anemployee of a law enforcement agency that is part of or administered by the state or any of itspolitical subdivisions, and whose primary and principal duties consist of the prevention anddetection of crime and the enforcement of criminal statutes or ordinances of this state or any ofits political subdivisions.
(b) "Law enforcement officer" specifically includes the following:
(i) any sheriff or deputy sheriff, chief of police, police officer, or marshal of any county,city, or town;
(ii) the commissioner of public safety and any member of the Department of PublicSafety certified as a peace officer;
(iii) all persons specified in Sections 23-20-1.5 and 79-4-501;
(iv) any police officer employed by any college or university;
(v) investigators for the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division;
(vi) special agents or investigators employed by the attorney general, district attorneys,and county attorneys;
(vii) employees of the Department of Natural Resources designated as peace officers bylaw;
(viii) school district police officers as designated by the board of education for the schooldistrict;
(ix) the executive director of the Department of Corrections and any correctionalenforcement or investigative officer designated by the executive director and approved by thecommissioner of public safety and certified by the division;
(x) correctional enforcement, investigative, or adult probation and parole officersemployed by the Department of Corrections serving on or before July 1, 1993;
(xi) members of a law enforcement agency established by a private college or universityprovided that the college or university has been certified by the commissioner of public safetyaccording to rules of the Department of Public Safety;
(xii) airport police officers of any airport owned or operated by the state or any of itspolitical subdivisions; and
(xiii) transit police officers designated under Section 17B-2a-823.
(2) Law enforcement officers may serve criminal process and arrest violators of any lawof this state and have the right to require aid in executing their lawful duties.
(3) (a) A law enforcement officer has statewide full-spectrum peace officer authority, butthe authority extends to other counties, cities, or towns only when the officer is acting under Title77, Chapter 9, Uniform Act on Fresh Pursuit, unless the law enforcement officer is employed bythe state.
(b) (i) A local law enforcement agency may limit the jurisdiction in which its lawenforcement officers may exercise their peace officer authority to a certain geographic area.
(ii) Notwithstanding Subsection (3)(b)(i), a law enforcement officer may exercise hisauthority outside of the limited geographic area, pursuant to Title 77, Chapter 9, Uniform Act onFresh Pursuit, if the officer is pursuing an offender for an offense that occurred within the limitedgeographic area.
(c) The authority of law enforcement officers employed by the Department ofCorrections is regulated by Title 64, Chapter 13, Department of Corrections - State Prison.
(4) A law enforcement officer shall, prior to exercising peace officer authority,satisfactorily complete:
(a) the basic course at a certified law enforcement officer training academy or pass acertification examination as provided in Section 53-6-206, and be certified; and
(b) annual certified training of at least 40 hours per year as directed by the director of thedivision, with the advice and consent of the council.
Amended by Chapter 344, 2009 General Session