Special police
In Alberta, special police forces can be maintained by transit authorities and universities and are usually referred to as protective services.
The Patrol is composed of special constables with limited police authority to enforce traffic violations on or near Bridge Commission property.
[7] In Ontario, any organization can request the authority to raise a special constabulary from the local police services board.
The Special Police also provided security and public peace, investigated and prevented organized crime, terrorism and other violent groups; protected state and private property; and helped and assisted civilians and other emergency forces in cases of emergency, natural disasters, civil unrest and armed conflicts.
The idea for the creation of the category is attributed to Michalis Chrisochoidis and Chief Ioannis Georgakopoulos and was realised in 1999.
[14] Within Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, the power to direct assistance is limited to reflect the devolved administration of policing.
The NCA enabling legislation does not allow the Home Secretary to give "directed tasking arrangements" to Scottish or Northern Irish police forces.
The term can also refer to limited police power granted in some jurisdictions to lifeguards, SPCA personnel, teachers, and other public sector employees which is incidental to their main responsibilities.
Some states, such as Maryland,[16] New York, and the District of Columbia, grant full police/peace officer authority to SPOs for use in whatever area they are employed to protect.
SPOs that hold no or limited police authority are typically uniformed in a manner that makes it immediately apparent that they are not "regular" law enforcement.
SPOs whom hold "full" law enforcement authority typically wear uniforms that are similar to other local LEOs.
While individual departments are usually given a wide latitude in the wear of their uniforms, some states have specific laws, codes, or regulations that require special police to be clearly identified as such.
Hourly rates for service are principally paid by private clients, with some cost to the city for general program administration concerning standards of professional performance, but not concerning day-to-day operations.
They have full legal police powers; explicitly including arrest authority, the ability to carry a weapon, and use emergency vehicles.
[18] SSPOs must attend and graduate either the 16-week SSPO Academy hosted by the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) in New Braintree, Massachusetts, or any of the 20-week Recruit Officer Courses (the same academies attended by municipal LEOs across the commonwealth) approved by the Municipal Police Training Council (MPTC).
Prospective SSPOs may have the training requirement waived by the Massachusetts State Police if they have completed an MPTC-approved Reserve/Intermittent Academy, have worked at least 2,000 hours as a part-time LEO, and have an associate's degree or higher in criminal justice; SSPO candidates whom have a significant full-time LE work history and have previously completed any LE academy may also apply for a training waiver from the MSP.
[23] However, it has become nearly universal practice for such institutions' law enforcement agencies to obtain SSPO commissions for their officers, in addition to the powers statutorily granted to them.
This practice is only statutorily required of campus police officers employed by private institutions, as outlined by MGL, Part I, Title II, Chapter 22C, Section 63.
Instead, Massachusetts General Law specifically empowers them as "regular" police officers whom may exercise such authority throughout the commonwealth, and are required to attend a Probation Service academy.
[33] Special police officers and SSPOs whom work for a "public agency", (i.e. any state or municipal agency, school, or hospital) and are authorized to carry firearms on-duty, qualify to carry a firearm concealed, off-duty, anywhere in the United States, as per the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act.
Class III SLEO licenses are reserved for retired and fully-trained police officers who are under the age of 65 years old.
Special Officers may make arrest for felony or misdemeanor offenses on the property or area they are to protect, patrol, or in relation to their direct assignment.
These include hospitals, hotels, race tracks, and shopping malls and are more properly referred to as "Company Police".
[38] The regional government Metro appoints special police for the purposes of enforcing parking laws and codes.
[40] The Smithsonian museum utilizes federal employees designated as "special police" under the United States Code (Title 10, Chapter 63, §6306).
Tennessee requires all special police officers to hold an active armed security license and possess equivalent military or civilian law enforcement training.
F.P.O.s are granted the authority to make arrests for public offenses committed against state officials or employees or committed upon, about, or against property owned or leased by the state or on public roads or rights-of-way passing through such owned or leased property.
These officers are regulated by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and are termed special conservators of the peace (SCOP).
These officers must meet specific training requirements and be sworn in by the district court judge or magistrate in the area where they request a commission.
These officers, when so sworn and certified, are permitted to utilize the term "police" (this was removed by the state legislature in 2018 and they may no longer use the term) and are permitted to operate emergency vehicles equipped with red flashing/strobing lights (municipal law enforcement operates either blue or combinations of blue and red).
