2019 Tennessee Code
Title 38 - Prevention and Detection of Crime
Chapter 8 - Employment and Training of Police Officers
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 38-8-118. Employment of private special deputies for security and law enforcement.

(a)

• (1) A resort area owner or management company may employ one (1) or more persons to act as private special deputies, in order to provide on-site security and law enforcement capability for residents and guests of the resort area and for resort area property.

• (2) An independent contractor who provides on-site security and law enforcement capability for federal government property that is an air force base and home to a development center that is the most advanced and largest complex of flight simulation test facilities in the world may employ one (1) or more persons to act as private special deputies for such purposes.

(b)

• (1)

  • (A) Upon employing a person for security and law enforcement purposes, the resort area shall seek appointment of the person as a private special deputy by the sheriff of the county where the resort is located, in accordance with § 8-8-212.

  • (B) Upon employing a person for security and law enforcement purposes pursuant to subdivision (a)(2), the independent contractor shall seek appointment of the person as a private special deputy by the sheriff of the county where the government property is located, in accordance with § 8-8-212.

• (2) No person may serve as a private special deputy, unless the person proves financial responsibility, to the appointing sheriff, as evidenced by a corporate surety bond in no less amount than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by a liability insurance policy of the employer in no less amount than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

• (3) The sheriff shall appoint the person as a private special deputy, if the person seeking appointment demonstrates to the sheriff that the person:

  • (A) Meets all of the qualifications for a police officer set out in § 38-8-106;

  • (B) Proves financial responsibility as provided in subdivision (b)(2); and

  • (C) Has received training or continuing training, from whatever source, that is equivalent to or superior to the training or continuing training required for a law enforcement officer under the standards established by the peace officer standards and training commission for law enforcement officers.

(c)

• (1) When properly appointed by the appropriate sheriff, the private special deputy shall be authorized to act independently of other law enforcement agencies and shall have all the police powers necessary to enforce all state laws, as well as rules and regulations of the resort area. The authority granted extends to all facilities or property owned, leased or operated by the employing resort, including any public roads or rights-of-way that are contiguous to, within the perimeter of, or connect between the facilities, property, or interests of a particular institution.

• (2) The authority granted to private special deputies pursuant to subdivision (b)(1)(B) extends to all facilities or property over which the independent contractor employing such deputies has been given authority by the employing governmental entity to provide on-site security and law enforcement services, including any public roads or rights-of-way that are contiguous to, within the perimeter of, or connect between the facilities, property or interests of the governmental property.

(d)

• (1) Anyone incurring any wrong, injury, loss, damage, or expense resulting from any act or failure to act on the part of any private special deputy appointed by the sheriff, but not employed by the sheriff or the county, shall not bring suit against the sheriff or the county, and the sheriff and county shall be immune from such suits, and the plaintiff shall be required to pursue the remedy against the private special deputy and/or the employer or employers of the private special deputy, whether the private special deputy is acting within the scope of employment or not.

• (2) Notwithstanding this subsection (d), § 8-8-303 or any other law to the contrary, the governmental immunity of the county in which a sheriff has appointed a private special deputy or deputies is not waived for any wrong, injury, loss, damage or expense resulting from an act or omission of the private special deputy under the following circumstances:

  • (A) The sheriff's department of the county has entered into a mutual assistance agreement with the resort area owner or management company or with the independent contractor providing on-site security and law enforcement capability for federal government property described in subdivision (a)(2) that employs the private special deputy or deputies;

  • (B) The act or omission occurred while the private special deputy was involved in official law enforcement duties after having been dispatched by the sheriff to respond to a call, provide backup or otherwise assist the sheriff's department in a law enforcement capacity or at the scene of an accident, crime or other incident; and

  • (C) The crime or incident to which the private special deputy was dispatched was outside the boundaries of the governmental property described in subdivision (a)(2) or resort area, as established in subsection (c).

(e) This section shall not entitle any private special deputy to any public funding, for training or otherwise.