2006 Code of Virginia § 15.2-1726 - Agreements for consolidation of police departments or for cooperation in furnishing police service...

15.2-1726. Agreements for consolidation of police departments or forcooperation in furnishing police services.

Any locality may, in its discretion, enter into a reciprocal agreement withany other locality, any agency of the federal government exercising policepowers, police of any state-supported institution of higher learningappointed pursuant to 23-233, or with any combination of the foregoing, forsuch periods and under such conditions as the contracting parties deemadvisable, for cooperation in the furnishing of police services. Suchlocalities also may enter into an agreement for the cooperation in thefurnishing of police services with the Department of State Police. Thegoverning body of any locality also may, in its discretion, enter into areciprocal agreement with any other locality, or combination thereof, for theconsolidation of police departments or divisions or departments thereof.Subject to the conditions of the agreement, all police officers, officers,agents and other employees of such consolidated or cooperating policedepartments shall have the same powers, rights, benefits, privileges andimmunities in every jurisdiction subscribing to such agreement, including theauthority to make arrests in every such jurisdiction subscribing to theagreement; however, no police officer of any locality shall have authority toenforce federal laws unless specifically empowered to do so by statute, andno federal law-enforcement officer shall have authority to enforce the lawsof the Commonwealth unless specifically empowered to do so by statute.

The governing body of a county also may enter into a tripartite contract withthe governing body of any town, one or more, in such county and the sherifffor such county for the purpose of having the sheriff furnish law-enforcementservices in the town. The contract shall be structured as a service contractand may have such other terms and conditions as the contracting parties deemadvisable. The sheriff and any deputy sheriff serving as a townlaw-enforcement officer shall have authority to enforce such town'sordinances. Likewise, subject to the conditions of the contract, the sheriffand deputy sheriffs while serving as a town's law-enforcement officers shallhave the same powers, rights, benefits, privileges and immunities as those ofregular town police officers. The sheriff under any such contract shall bethe town's chief of police.

(1970, c. 271, 15.1-131.3; 1978, c. 9; 1984, c. 622; 1989, c. 294; 1994, c.268; 1997, c. 587.)