TITLE 22
DETECTIVES AND PRIVATE POLICE
Chapter
1. General Provisions (Reserved)
3. Detectives (Reserved)
5. Private Police
33. Railroad and Street Railway Police
37. Humane Society Police Officers
Enactment. Unless otherwise noted, the provisions of Title 22 were added November 15, 1972, P.L.1063,
No.271, effective in 90 days.
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(Reserved)
Enactment. Chapter 1 (Reserved) was added November 15, 1972, P.L.1063, No.271, effective in 90
days.
CHAPTER 3
DETECTIVES
(Reserved)
Enactment. Chapter 3 (Reserved) was added November 15, 1972, P.L.1063, No.271, effective in 90
days.
CHAPTER 5
PRIVATE POLICE
Sec.
501. Appointment by nonprofit corporations.
Enactment. Chapter 5 was added November 15, 1972, P.L.1063, No.271, effective in 90 days.
§ 501. Appointment by nonprofit corporations.
(a) Appointment authorized.--Any nonprofit corporation, as defined in 15 Pa.C.S. Pt. II Subpt. C (relating to nonprofit
corporations) maintaining a cemetery or any buildings or grounds open to the public,
or organized for the prevention of cruelty to children or aged persons, or one or
more of such purposes, may apply to the court of common pleas of the county of the
registered office of the corporation for the appointment of such persons as the corporation
may designate to act as policemen for the corporation. The court, upon such application,
may by order appoint such persons, or as many of them as it may deem proper and necessary,
to be such policemen.
(b) Oath of office.--Every policeman so appointed shall, before entering upon the duties of his office,
take and subscribe the oath required by the sixth article of the Constitution of Pennsylvania.
Such oath, together with the decree and order of the court, shall be recorded by the
recorder of deeds of each county in which it is intended that such policemen shall
act.
(c) Powers.--Such policemen, so appointed, shall severally possess and exercise all the powers
of a police officer in this Commonwealth, in and upon, and in the immediate and adjacent
vicinity of, the property of the corporation. Policemen so appointed for a corporation
organized for the prevention of cruelty to children or aged persons, or one or more
of such purposes, shall severally possess and exercise all the powers of a police
officer in any county in which they may be directed by the corporation to act, and
are hereby authorized to arrest persons for the commission of any offense of cruelty
to children or aged persons. The keepers of jails and other places of detention in
any county of this Commonwealth shall receive all persons arrested by such policemen
for purposes of detention until they are dealt with according to law. Every policeman
appointed under this section, when on duty, shall wear a metallic shield with the
words "special officer" and the name of the corporation for which appointed inscribed
thereon.
(d) Compensation.--The compensation of such policemen shall be paid by the corporation for which the
policemen are appointed, as may be agreed upon between the corporation and such policemen.
(e) Termination of appointment.--When any corporation shall no longer require the services of any policeman, it shall
file a notice to that effect, under its corporate seal, in the office of each recorder
of deeds where the court decree and order of appointment of such policeman were recorded.
The recorder of deeds shall note this information upon the margin of the record where
the court decree and order were recorded, and thereupon the powers of such policeman
shall terminate. It shall be the duty of the recorder of deeds to notify the clerk
of the court by which such policeman was appointed of the termination of such appointment
in such county.
(Dec. 19, 1990, P.L.834, No.198, eff. imd.; Nov. 30, 2004, P.L.1603, No.205, eff.
180 days)
2004 Amendment. Act 205 amended subsecs. (a) and (c).
Notes of Decisions
Reed Dempsey v. Bucknell Univ., 834 F.3d 457 (3rd Cir. 2016).
“Although Bucknell University is a private institution, BUPS officers are sworn police officers pursuant to 22 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 501 . For this reason, their official actions are taken “under color of state authority" for purposes of § 1983.”
Pa. Rest. & Lodging Ass'n v. City of Pittsburgh, 211 A.3d 810 (Pa. 2019).
· cites it 2× “protection of individuals or property from harm or unlawful or unauthorized activity; and deterrence, observation, detection and/or reporting of incidents in order to prevent or abate any harmful, unlawful or unauthorized activity,” excluding all city, county, state, and federal…”
Hulsizer v. Labor Day Comm., Inc., 734 A.2d 848 (Pa. 1999).
· cites it 10× “§ 501(c) (relating to appointment by nonprofit corporations) upon a humane society police officer within the boundaries of a county unless the individual has been appointed as a humane society police officer in that county in accordance with 22 Pa.C.S. § 501. 3 P.S. § 456.3…”
Snead v. Soc'y for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 985 A.2d 909 (Pa. 2009).
“Prior to the law's enactment, the SPCA's enforcement officers were appointed as private police pursuant to 22 Pa.C.S. § 501 (former version). 5 . While the existence of a "sue and be sued” clause in a party’s organic documents may not necessarily defeat a sovereign immunity…”
Mckinley v. Com., Dept. of Transp., 769 A.2d 1153 (Pa. 2001).
“215(a) (limiting the jurisdiction *576 of security personnel employed by the state horse racing commission to race meeting grounds); 22 Pa.C.S. § 501 (granting certain approved personnel employed by enumerated nonprofit corporations the authority to act as police officers “in…”
Snyder v. Commonwealth, 640 A.2d 490 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1994).
· cites it 2× “DOT first asserts that Helffrich is a private policeman as envisioned in 22 Pa.C.S. § 501. That section provides: Any nonprofit corporation, as defined in 15 Pa.”
Mohler v. Labor Day Comm., Inc., 663 A.2d 162 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1995).
· cites it 3× “” Under the definitional Section 2 a “Humane Society police officer” is defined as: Any person duly appointed pursuant to 22 Pa.C.S. § 501 (relating to appointment by nonprofit corporations) to act as a police officer for a society or association for the prevention of cruelty to…”
McKinley v. Commonwealth, Dep't of Transp., Bureau of Driver Licensing, 769 A.2d 1153 (Pa. 2001).
“215(a) (limiting the jurisdiction of security personnel employed by the state horse racing commission to race meeting grounds); 22 Pa. C.S. § 501 (granting certain approved personnel employed by enumerated nonprofit corporations the authority to act as police officers “in and…”
Mitchell v. Commonwealth, Dep't of Transp., Bureau of Driver Licensing, 826 A.2d 936 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2003).
“” Although Department argued that the campus police officer had authority to make arrests as a private policeman, Department did not produce any evidence to support its assertion that the campus officer was in fact appointed by the court of common pleas as a private policeman in…”
Commonwealth v. Croushore, 703 A.2d 546 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1997).
· cites it 2× “Although appellee cites 22 Pa.C.S. § 501, Appointment by nonprofit corporations, (c) Powers, as providing statutory authority for University of Pittsburgh police, the specific provisions of 71 P.”
In re the Fayette Soc'y for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Inc., 28 Pa. D. & C.4th 187 (1993).
· cites it 10× “, asking this court to appoint Autumn Fike as a police officer/humane officer pursuant to 22 Pa.C.S. §501. After hearing, and full consideration of the applicable law, brief of petitioner, and the amici curiae briefs submitted in opposition to Fike’s appointment, we deny the…”
In Re: Domitrovich; Appeal of: LECOM (Pa. 2021).
· cites it 3× “SUSMARSKI : : SUBMITTED: August 23, 2021 OPINION CHIEF JUSTICE BAER DECIDED: AUGUST 23, 2021 This matter involves a challenge to an administrative order issued by a president judge that, inter alia, disqualifies a common pleas court judge from adjudicating single- party…”
— 22 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 501(a) — 5 cases
Snyder v. Commonwealth, 640 A.2d 490 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1994).
“DOT first asserts that Helffrich is a private policeman as envisioned in 22 Pa.C.S. § 501. That section provides: Any nonprofit corporation, as defined in 15 Pa.”
Hulsizer v. Labor Day Comm., Inc., 734 A.2d 848 (Pa. 1999).
“§ 501(c) (relating to appointment by nonprofit corporations) upon a humane society police officer within the boundaries of a county unless the individual has been appointed as a humane society police officer in that county in accordance with 22 Pa.C.S. § 501. 3 P.S. § 456.3…”
Mitchell v. Commonwealth, Dep't of Transp., Bureau of Driver Licensing, 826 A.2d 936 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2003).
“” Although Department argued that the campus police officer had authority to make arrests as a private policeman, Department did not produce any evidence to support its assertion that the campus officer was in fact appointed by the court of common pleas as a private policeman in…”
In re the Fayette Soc'y for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Inc., 28 Pa. D. & C.4th 187 (1993).
“, asking this court to appoint Autumn Fike as a police officer/humane officer pursuant to 22 Pa.C.S. §501. After hearing, and full consideration of the applicable law, brief of petitioner, and the amici curiae briefs submitted in opposition to Fike’s appointment, we deny the…”
— 22 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 501(b) — 1 case
Hulsizer v. Labor Day Comm., Inc., 734 A.2d 848 (Pa. 1999).
“§ 501(c) (relating to appointment by nonprofit corporations) upon a humane society police officer within the boundaries of a county unless the individual has been appointed as a humane society police officer in that county in accordance with 22 Pa.C.S. § 501. 3 P.S. § 456.3…”
— 22 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 501(c) — 4 cases
Hulsizer v. Labor Day Comm., Inc., 734 A.2d 848 (Pa. 1999).
“§ 501(c) (relating to appointment by nonprofit corporations) upon a humane society police officer within the boundaries of a county unless the individual has been appointed as a humane society police officer in that county in accordance with 22 Pa.C.S. § 501. 3 P.S. § 456.3…”
Mohler v. Labor Day Comm., Inc., 663 A.2d 162 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1995).
“” Under the definitional Section 2 a “Humane Society police officer” is defined as: Any person duly appointed pursuant to 22 Pa.C.S. § 501 (relating to appointment by nonprofit corporations) to act as a police officer for a society or association for the prevention of cruelty to…”
Commonwealth v. Croushore, 703 A.2d 546 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1997).
“Although appellee cites 22 Pa.C.S. § 501, Appointment by nonprofit corporations, (c) Powers, as providing statutory authority for University of Pittsburgh police, the specific provisions of 71 P.”
In re the Fayette Soc'y for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Inc., 28 Pa. D. & C.4th 187 (1993).
“, asking this court to appoint Autumn Fike as a police officer/humane officer pursuant to 22 Pa.C.S. §501. After hearing, and full consideration of the applicable law, brief of petitioner, and the amici curiae briefs submitted in opposition to Fike’s appointment, we deny the…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.