COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, HOMELAND

SECURITY AND JUSTICE

BILL NO. 29-0078

Twenty-Ninth Legislature Of The Virgin Islands

April 7, 2011

An Act amending 19 V.I.C., Part III, chapter 29, subchapter 2, section 620, and 23 V.I.C., chapter 1, relating
to law enforcement personnel authority and power

PROPOSED BY: Senator Sammuel Sanes

1 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands:

2 SECTION 1. Title 19 V.I.C., Part III, chapter 29, section 620, is amended after the word

3 “Health,” by inserting “or federal law enforcement officer”.

4 SECTION 2. Title 23 V.I.C., chapter 1, section 3, is amended by inserting a new subsection (f)

5 to read as follows:

6 “(f) In the event of an “emergency” or “major disaster” as defined in Title 23, chapter 10,

7 subchapter I, section 1004 (a) (1) and (2), the Governor, upon recommendation of the Police

8 Commissioner, may, if he deems the police force of the Virgin Islands inadequate to maintain law and

9 order, specially deputize any number of federal law enforcement officers who are available to act as
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1 Special Peace Officers. Special Peace Officers so deputized shall have the same authority as Virgin

2 Islands Peace Officers as defined in Title 5, section 3561, of this Code, and shall be subject to the

3 authority of the Police Commissioner.”

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5 BILL SUMMARY

6 This bill seeks to amend 19 V.I.C., chapter 29 and 23 V.I.C., chapter 1, relating to law

7 enforcement personnel authority and power. Section 1 amends 19 V.I.C., section 620, to add federal law

8 enforcement officers to the list of local law enforcement personnel who may do certain enumerated acts

9 Section 2 amends 23 V.I.C., section 3, to add a new subsection which authorizes the Governor to

10 deputize federal law enforcement officers as Special Peace Officers when certain emergency

11 circumstances are present in the territory.

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15 BR 11-0463 / February 16, 2011 / Revised February 17, 2011/TMH

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