16 Pa. Stat. § 2512

Current through P.A. Acts 2023-32
Section 2512 - Duty of police
(a) It shall be the duty of the police, county park police or guards appointed to duty in any recreation places, buildings and other county-owned properties, without warrant, forthwith to arrest any offender against the rules and regulations, ordained or resolved by the county commissioners, that they may detect in the commission of such offense, and to take the person so arrested forthwith before a magisterial district judge having competent jurisdiction.
(b) In the ordinance creating a county park police force, the county commissioners shall designate a primary jurisdictional area upon which the county park police officers shall have jurisdiction and which shall include only property owned, leased or controlled by the county, by a county municipal authority, county redevelopment authority, county industrial development authority or agency, or county airport authority, or by a community college of which the county is a local sponsor, whether such property is within or outside the territorial limits of the county. A county road, street or highway shall not be designated or considered as a primary jurisdictional area unless it is located within the boundaries of a geographical area otherwise designated by ordinance as a primary jurisdictional area pursuant to this section.
(c) County park police shall have the power and their duty shall be:
(1) to enforce good order and protect the grounds and buildings within a primary jurisdictional area;
(2) to exclude all disorderly persons from the grounds and buildings within a primary jurisdictional area;
(3) to exercise the same powers as are now or may hereafter be exercised under authority of law or ordinance by the police of the municipalities wherein the primary jurisdictional area is located, including, but not limited to, those powers conferred pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 89 Subch. D (relating to municipal police jurisdiction);
(4) to prevent crime, investigate criminal acts, apprehend, arrest and charge criminal offenders and issue summary citations for acts committed on the grounds and in the buildings of the primary jurisdictional area and carry the offender before the proper authority and prefer charges against the offender under the laws of this Commonwealth. Except when acting pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 89 Subch. D, county park police shall exercise these powers and perform these duties only on the grounds of the primary jurisdictional area;
(5) to order off the grounds and out of the buildings within the primary jurisdictional area all vagrants, loafers, trespassers and persons under the influence of liquor and, if necessary, remove them by force and, in case of resistance, carry such offenders before the proper authority; and
(6) to arrest any person who damages, mutilates or destroys the trees, plants, shrubbery, turf, grass plots, benches, buildings and structures or commits any other offense on the grounds and in the buildings within the primary jurisdictional area and carry the offender before the proper authority and prefer charges against the offender under the laws of this Commonwealth.
(d) The county commissioners shall designate, from the county park police officers, the chief and such other ranks or classifications of officers as desired by the county commissioners.

16 P.S. § 2512

Amended by P.L. TBD 2018 No. 154, § 109, eff. 12/24/2018.
1955, Aug. 9, P.L. 323, § 2512. Amended 2004, Nov. 29, P.L. 1275, No. 155, § 3, effective 1/28/2005.