THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY PALLONE, BEYER, COHEN, GRUCELA, HORNAMAN, KORTZ, KOTIK, MAHONEY, PETRARCA, READSHAW, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, THOMAS, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD AND FABRIZIO, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, further defining "police department"

and "police officer" for purposes of municipal police

education and training.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  The definitions of "police department" and

"police officer" in section 2162 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

§ 2162.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

* * *

"Police department."  Any of the following:

(1)  A public agency of a political subdivision having

general police powers and charged with making arrests in

connection with the enforcement of the criminal or traffic

laws. This paragraph includes the sheriff's office in a

county of the second class.

(2)  A campus police or university police department, as

used in section 2416 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,

No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, certified

by the Office of Attorney General as a criminal justice

agency under the definition of "criminal justice agency" in

18 Pa.C.S. § 9102 (relating to definitions). This paragraph

does not include a campus police or university police

department of the State System of Higher Education and its

member institutions.

(3)  A railroad or street railway police department

formed with officers commissioned under 22 Pa.C.S. Ch. 33 

(relating to railroad and street railway police) or any prior

statute providing for such commissioning.

(4)  The Capitol Police.

(5)  The Harrisburg International Airport Police.

(6)  An airport authority police department.

(7)  A county park police department.

"Police officer."  Any of the following:

(1)  A full-time or part-time employee assigned to

criminal or traffic law enforcement duties of any of the

following:

(i)  A police department of a county, city, borough,

town or township.

(ii)  Any railroad or street railway police.

(iii)  Any campus or university police department.

(iv)  The Capitol Police.

(v)  The Harrisburg International Airport Police.

(vi)  An airport authority police department.

(2)  A deputy sheriff of a county of the second class.

(3)  A security officer of a first class city housing

authority or a police officer of a second class city housing

authority.

(4)  A county park police officer.

The term excludes persons employed to check parking meters or to

perform only administrative duties and auxiliary and fire

police.

* * *

Section 2.  Sections 2168 and 2170 of Title 53 are amended by

adding subsections to read:

§ 2168.  Automatic certification.

* * *

(e)  County park police.--

(1)  A county park police officer who has successfully

completed the basic training course under this subchapter

prior to the effective date of this subsection shall be

assigned a certification number under this subchapter but

shall be required to complete the in-service training as set

forth in section 2164(7) (relating to powers and duties of

commission).

(2)  County park police officers who successfully

completed training prior to the effective date of this

subchapter or who have successfully completed training

determined by the commission to be the equivalent of that

training, and who met all the criteria in place at the time

of their hiring and successfully completed all training

required thereafter, shall also be assigned a certification

number under this subchapter.

(3)  A certification number may be transferred along with

an individual if that individual has successfully completed

all training required by the commission and is hired for

another position under this subchapter.

§ 2170.  Reimbursement of expenses.

* * *

(a.1)  County park police.--A municipality shall be

ineligible for reimbursement for tuition and expenses for the

certified basic training of county park police.

* * *

Section 3.  Section 2171 of Title 53 is amended to read:

§ 2171.  Payment of certain county costs.

(a)  Second class counties.--Counties of the second class

shall be liable for costs incurred for the certification of

deputy sheriffs. The costs shall not exceed the sum per police

officer assessed against municipalities.

(b)  Counties generally.--Counties shall be liable for the

costs incurred for any training required for the certification

of county park police officers.

Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.