15.2-1744 - Jurisdiction and authority of special police officers; evidence of their office.
§ 15.2-1744. Jurisdiction and authority of special police officers; evidenceof their office.
The jurisdiction and authority of special police shall extend no further thanthe limits of the locality in which they are appointed, and a copy of theorder of appointment made by the court, attested by the clerk of such court,shall in all cases be received as evidence of their official character. Butthe authority of special police shall extend throughout the Commonwealth whenactually in pursuit of persons accused of crime and when acting underauthority of a duly executed warrant for the arrest of persons accused ofcommitting crime.
The jurisdiction and authority of special police upon order entered of recordby the circuit court for the locality may be limited to a specific place orplaces in a locality; may limit or prohibit the carrying of weapons byspecial police; and shall prescribe the type of uniform, badge, insignia oridentification to be worn or carried by special police to the extent that theuniform, badge, insignia or identification shall not resemble or be infacsimile of the uniform, badge, insignia or identification of the StatePolice or that of any sheriff, or member of a police department in thelocality or an adjoining locality. Any special police officer initiallyappointed on or after July 1, 1996, whose order of appointment does notprohibit the carrying of weapons while within the scope of his employment assuch may be required by the court to meet the minimum entry trainingrequirements established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services under§ 9.1-102 for law-enforcement officers within twelve months of hisappointment. Such order may provide that special police shall, within thelimits of their jurisdiction, have the same authority and responsibility asdeputy sheriffs with regard to the service of civil and criminal process.
However, the jurisdiction and authority of special police, upon an orderentered of record by the circuit court for an adjoining locality, may beextended into such adjoining locality or into such part thereof as the ordermay designate, provided that the special circumstances necessitating suchextension of jurisdiction and authority are set forth in the order.
(Code 1950, § 15-570; 1954, c. 400; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-152; 1964, c. 138;1972, c. 218; 1976, c. 403; 1996, c. 850; 1997, c. 587.)