33.1-258 - Appointment of special police. - Virginia Statutes

§ 33.1-258. Appointment of special police.

The circuit court of any county, or the judge thereof in vacation, in whichthere is a toll bridge or its approaches, or the circuit court of any county,or the judge thereof in vacation, in which lies any part of any toll bridge,or bridges, or their approaches belonging to the same proprietor, but whichbridge or bridges and/or their approaches lie in more than one county orcounties, may, upon the application of such proprietor, appoint any employeeof such proprietor, employed in and about the control or the operation ofsuch bridge or bridges and approaches, a special police officer, who mayexercise all the powers and duties imposed and conferred upon sheriffs inthis Commonwealth, in criminal matters, upon any such bridge, or bridges andtheir approaches. And such power shall extend throughout the Commonwealthwhen such special police officer is actually in pursuit of a person accusedof crime, or when acting under authority of a warrant duly issued for thearrest of a person charged with a crime. But no special policeman appointedunder this section whose duties as such special policeman are merelyincidental to such private employment shall be deemed to be an employee ofthe Commonwealth or county or counties within which such bridges and theirapproaches lie, within the meaning of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act.

(Code 1950, § 33-218; 1970, c. 322.)