ENGROSSED


Senate Bill No. 581

(By Senators Plymale, Bailey, Bowman, Miller, Scott and Wagner)

____________

[Originating in the Committee on Government Organization

reported March 1, 1995.]

_____________



A BILL to amend and reenact section eight, chapter twenty-six, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred twenty-five (municipal charters), as amended by chapter one hundred twenty-two, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred thirty-three; by chapter one hundred thirty-two, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred seventy-two; by chapter one hundred forty-eight, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred seventy-four; by chapter one hundred ninety-four, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred eighty-three; and as last amended and reenacted by chapter one hundred seventy-five, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred ninety-one, all relating to the greater Huntington park and recreation district; law enforcement; and limiting the jurisdiction of park rangers to make arrests on property of the park district.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight, chapter twenty-six, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred twenty-five (municipal charters), as amended by chapter one hundred twenty-two, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred thirty-three, by chapter one hundred thirty-two, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred seventy-two, by chapter one hundred forty-eight, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred seventy-four, by chapter one hundred ninety-four, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred eighty-three, and as last amended and reenacted by chapter one hundred seventy-five, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred ninety-one, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
§8. Law enforcement.
(a) The park district is authorized and empowered to employ as many park rangers the park district shall deem proper and necessary. Park rangers shall have the power to issue citations for nonmoving traffic violations of ordinances promulgated by the park district upon the property under the jurisdiction of the park district. Park rangers may not carry a gun without obtaining a license therefor as required by law.
(b) Police officers employed by the city of Huntington, town of Milton, members of the West Virginia division of public safety and sheriff's deputies in Cabell and Wayne counties are hereby authorized and empowered to make arrests for violations of ordinances promulgated by the park district upon property within the park district which is under the jurisdiction of the park district; and all of the foregoing officers of the law, except members of the Huntington police department, are hereby authorized and empowered to make arrests for violations of ordinances promulgated by the park district upon property under the jurisdiction of the park district which is outside of the park district.
(c) For violations of park district ordinances, jurisdiction of all warrants relating thereto to be issued is hereby granted to such courts as have criminal jurisdiction of misdemeanors committed upon property which is owned or controlled by the park district.