NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 534

HOUSE BILL 1097

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND G.S. 160A-288 TO ALLOW INCREASED MUTUAL ASSISTANCE BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 160A-288 is rewritten to read as follows:

"§ 160A-288.  Cooperation between law enforcement agencies. — (a) In accordance with rules, policies, or guidelines officially adopted by the governing body of the city or county by which he is employed, and subject to any conditions or restrictions included therein, the head of any law enforcement agency may temporarily provide assistance to another agency in enforcing the laws of North Carolina if so requested in writing by the head of the requesting agency. The assistance may comprise allowing officers of the agency to work temporarily with officers of the requesting agency (including in an undercover capacity) and lending equipment and supplies. While working with the requesting agency under the authority of this section, an officer shall have the same jurisdiction, powers, rights, privileges and immunities as the officers of the requesting agency in addition to those he normally possesses. While on duty with the requesting agency, he shall be subject to the lawful operational commands of his superior officers in the requesting agency, but he shall for personnel and administrative purposes, remain under the control of his own agency, including for purposes of pay. He shall furthermore be entitled to workmen's compensation and the same benefits when acting pursuant to this section to the same extent as though he were functioning within the normal scope of his duties.

(b)        As used in this section:

(1)        'Head' means any director or chief officer of a law enforcement agency including the chief of police of a local department, chief of police of county police department, and the sheriff of a county, or an officer of one of the above named agencies to whom the head of that agency has delegated authority to make or grant requests under this section, but only one officer in the agency shall have this delegated authority at any time.

(2)        'Law enforcement agency' means only a municipal police department, a county police department, or a sheriff's department. All other State and local agencies are exempted from the provisions of this section.

(c)        This section in no way reduces the jurisdiction or authority of State law enforcement officers."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective on July 1, 1977.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 13th day of June, 1977.