Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §2676-A is enacted to read:

§2676-A.__In-state police assistance

A duly authorized officer of a sheriff's office or the State Police may exercise all statutory authority under section 2671 within a municipality, provided that the chief law enforcement officer of the requesting municipality has executed with the chief officer of the responding sheriff's office or the State Police a written agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions under which assistance may be requested and rendered.

The executed agreement constitutes authorization for every request for assistance and for any assistance rendered in accordance with the terms and conditions of the written agreement, regardless of whether the responding officer is named in the agreement. In an emergency situation, the ranking on-duty law enforcement officer of the requesting municipality is authorized to make an oral request for assistance to the ranking on-duty officer in the responding sheriff's office or the State Police, subject to the terms and conditions of the written agreement, and the responding officer may exercise all statutory authority under section 2671.

SUMMARY

This bill clarifies that, if a municipality contracts with a sheriff's department or the State Police to provide law enforcement for the municipality, officers of that sheriff's department or the State Police have the full powers of municipal police officers within the municipality, including authority to enforce local parking ordinances.