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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>80081</law_id><section_number>15.2-1726</section_number><catch_line>Agreements for consolidation of police departments or for cooperation in furnishing police services</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1609.1</reference><reference>30-34.2:1</reference><reference>9.1-165</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="17">Police and Public Order</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Interjurisdictional Law-Enforcement Authority and Agreements</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may, in its discretion, enter into a reciprocal agreement with any other <span class="dictionary">locality</span>, any agency of the federal government exercising police powers, the police of any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth appointed pursuant to subsection B of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment of campus police officers and members of an auxiliary police force" href="/23.1-812/">23.1-812</a>, the Division of Capitol Police, any private police department certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, or any combination of the foregoing, for such periods and under such conditions as the contracting parties deem advisable, for cooperation in the furnishing of police services. Such agreements may include designation of mutually agreed-upon boundary lines between contiguous localities for purposes of organizing 911 dispatch and response and clarifying <span class="dictionary">issues</span> related to coverage under workers&#x2019; compensation and risk management <span class="dictionary">laws</span>. Such agreements may also include provisions allowing for the loan of unmarked police vehicles. Such localities also may enter into an agreement for the cooperation in the furnishing of police services with the Department of State Police. The <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> of any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> also may, in its discretion, enter into a reciprocal agreement with any other <span class="dictionary">locality</span>, or combination thereof, for the <span class="dictionary">consolidation</span> 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 police departments shall have the same powers, rights, benefits, <span class="dictionary">privileges</span> and immunities in every <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> subscribing to such agreement, including the authority to make <span class="dictionary">arrests</span> in every such <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> subscribing to the agreement; however, no police officer of any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> shall have authority to enforce federal <span class="dictionary">laws</span> unless specifically empowered to do so by <span class="dictionary">statute</span>, and no federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer shall have authority to enforce the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of the Commonwealth unless specifically empowered to do so by <span class="dictionary">statute</span>.
		The <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> of a <span class="dictionary">county</span> also may enter into a tripartite <span class="dictionary">contract</span> with the <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> of any <span class="dictionary">town</span>, one or more, in such <span class="dictionary">county</span> and the sheriff for such <span class="dictionary">county</span> for the purpose of having the sheriff furnish <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement services in the <span class="dictionary">town</span>. The <span class="dictionary">contract</span> shall be structured as a service <span class="dictionary">contract</span> and may have such other terms and conditions as the contracting parties deem advisable. The sheriff and any deputy sheriff serving as a <span class="dictionary">town</span> <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer shall have authority to enforce such <span class="dictionary">town</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">ordinances</span>. Likewise, subject to the conditions of the <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, the sheriff and deputy sheriffs while serving as a <span class="dictionary">town</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers shall have the same powers, rights, benefits, <span class="dictionary">privileges</span> and immunities as those of regular <span class="dictionary">town</span> police officers. The sheriff under any such <span class="dictionary">contract</span> shall be the <span class="dictionary">town</span>&#x2019;s chief of police.</p></section></text><history>1970, c. 271, &#xA7; 15.1-131.3; 1978, c. 9; 1984, c. 622; 1989, c. 294; 1994, c. 268; 1997, c. 587; 2008, c. 437; 2013, cc. 250, 472, 594, 775; 2014, c. 581.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
