1999 Minnesota Statutes

     473.407 Metropolitan transit police. 

    Subdivision 1.    Authorization.  The council may 
 appoint peace officers, as defined in section 626.84, 
 subdivision 1, paragraph (c), and establish a law enforcement 
 agency, as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph 
 (h), known as the metropolitan transit police, to police its 
 transit property and routes and to make arrests under sections 
 629.30 and 629.34.  The jurisdiction of the law enforcement 
 agency is limited to offenses relating to council transit 
 property, equipment, employees, and passengers. 

    Subd. 2.    Limitations.  The initial processing of a 
 person arrested by the transit police for an offense within the 
 agency's jurisdiction is the responsibility of the transit 
 police unless otherwise directed by the law enforcement agency 
 with primary jurisdiction.  A subsequent investigation is the 
 responsibility of the law enforcement agency of the jurisdiction 
 in which the crime was committed.  The transit police are not 
 authorized to apply for a search warrant as prescribed in 
 section 626.05. 

    Subd. 3.    Policies.  Before the council begins to 
 operate its law enforcement agency within a city or county with 
 an existing law enforcement agency, the transit police shall 
 develop, in conjunction with the law enforcement agencies, 
 written policies that describe how the issues of joint 
 jurisdiction will be resolved.  The policies must also address 
 the operation of emergency vehicles by transit police responding 
 to transit emergencies.  These policies must be filed with the 
 board of peace officer standards and training by August 1, 
 1993.  Revisions of any of these policies must be filed with the 
 board within ten days of the effective date of the revision.  
 The council shall train all of its peace officers regarding the 
 application of these policies. 

    Subd. 4.    Chief law enforcement officer.  The regional 
 administrator shall appoint a peace officer employed full time 
 to be the chief law enforcement officer and to be responsible 
 for the management of the metropolitan transit police.  The 
 chief law enforcement officer shall possess the necessary police 
 and management experience to manage a law enforcement agency.  
 The chief law enforcement officer may appoint, discipline, and 
 discharge all transit police personnel.  All police managerial 
 and supervisory personnel must be full-time employees of the 
 metropolitan transit police.  Supervisory personnel must be on 
 duty and available any time transit police are on duty.  The 
 chief law enforcement officer may not hire part-time peace 
 officers as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph 
 (f), except that the chief may appoint peace officers to work on 
 a part-time basis not to exceed 30 full-time equivalents.  A 
 part-time officer must maintain an active peace officer license 
 with the officer's full-time law enforcement employer. 

    Subd. 4a.    Exception.  Subdivision 4 does not apply to 
 part-time officers employed by the metropolitan council transit 
 police prior to January 1, 1998, who were full-time employees of 
 another police department upon the date the officer was hired by 
 the metropolitan council transit police and who subsequently 
 voluntarily separated from the full-time position before January 
 1, 1998. 

    Subd. 5.    Emergencies.  (a) The council shall ensure 
 that all emergency vehicles used by transit police are equipped 
 with radios capable of receiving and transmitting on the same 
 frequencies utilized by the law enforcement agencies that have 
 primary jurisdiction. 

    (b) When the transit police receive an emergency call they 
 shall notify the public safety agency with primary jurisdiction 
 and coordinate the appropriate response. 

    (c) Transit police officers shall notify the primary 
 jurisdictions of their response to any emergency. 

    Subd. 6.    Compliance.  Except as otherwise provided in 
 this section, the transit police shall comply with all statutes 
 and administrative rules relating to the operation and 
 management of a law enforcement agency. 

    HIST: 1993 c 326 art 7 s 11; 1994 c 628 art 3 s 110-115; 1997 
 c 149 s 2,3