HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3253

Title III
Article XVI
76.

(a)  The Authority is authorized to establish and maintain a
regular police force, to be known as the metro transit police, to
provide protection for its patrons, personnel, and transit
facilities. The metro transit police shall have the powers and
duties and shall be subject to the limitations set forth in this
section. It shall be composed of both uniformed and plainclothes
personnel and shall be charged with the duty of enforcing the
laws of the signatories, and the laws, ordinances and regulations
of the political subdivisions thereof in the transit zone, and
the rules and regulations of the Authority. The jurisdiction of
the metro transit police shall be limited to all the transit
facilities (INCLUDING BUS STOPS) owned, controlled or operated by
the Authority, but this RESTRICTION shall not limit the power of
the metro transit police to make arrests in the transit zone for
violations committed upon, to or against such transit facilities
committed from within or outside such transit facilities, while
in hot or close pursuit FROM WITHIN OR OUTSIDE SUCH FACILITIES,
or to execute traffic citations and criminal process in
accordance with subsection (c) below. WHILE ON DUTY WITHIN THE
TRANSIT ZONE, A MEMBER OF THE METRO TRANSIT POLICE SHALL HAVE THE
POWER TO MAKE ARRESTS ON PROBABLE CAUSE FOR CRIMES AGAINST
PERSONS AND VIOLATIONS OF "POSSESSION OF PROHIBITED WEAPON LAWS"
OCCURRING IN THEIR PRESENCE ANYWHERE IN THE TRANSIT ZONE. The
members of the metro transit police shall have concurrent
jurisdiction in the performance of their duties with the duly
constituted law enforcement agencies of the signatories and of
the political subdivisions thereof in which any transit facility
of the Authority is located or in which the Authority operates
any transit service. Nothing contained in this section shall
either relieve any signatory or political subdivision or agency
thereof from its duty to provide police, fire and other public
safety service and protection, or limit, restrict or interfere
with the jurisdiction of or the performance of duties by the
existing police, fire and other public safety agencies. FOR
PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "BUS STOP" MEANS THAT AREA WITHIN 150
FEET OF A METROBUS BUS STOP SIGN, EXCLUDING THE INTERIOR OF ANY
BUILDING NOT OWNED, CONTROLLED, OR OPERATED BY THE WASHINGTON
METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY.

(b)  (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a
member of the metro transit police shall have the same powers,
including the power of arrest, and shall be subject to the same
limitations, including regulatory limitations, in the performance
of his duties as a member of the duly constituted police force of
the political subdivision in which the metro transit police
member is engaged in the performance of his duties. However, a
member of the metro transit police is authorized to carry and use
only such weapons, including handguns, as are issued OR OTHERWISE