32:4-6. Delaware River Port Authority police officers

The Delaware River Port Authority, a body corporate and politic, functioning under the legislation enacted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, and the express consent of the Congress of the United States, and its wholly-owned subsidiary corporations, through which it is effectuating its authorized purposes, shall have the power and authority to appoint such number of police officers as may be found necessary to keep in safety and preserve order upon such bridges and tunnels and approaches thereto, and upon the rapid transit systems, ferries, facilities and other property as the Delaware River Port Authority or subsidiary corporations do or may hereafter own, lease or operate; to administer to the police officers an oath or affirmation faithfully to perform the duties of their respective positions or offices; and to provide for the payment of the police officers from the tolls, fares, charges and other revenue of the Delaware River Port Authority or subsidiary corporations. The police officers so appointed shall have the power and authority to make arrests for any crimes, misdemeanors, and the offenses committed under the laws of the State of New Jersey or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, upon said bridges or within said tunnels or approaches thereto, on the rapid transit systems, ferries, facilities or other property owned, leased or operated by the Delaware River Port Authority or a subsidiary corporation, for disorder or breach of the peace, or for violations of any lawful regulation which may be or may heretofore have been adopted by the Delaware River Port Authority or subsidiary corporations Police officers shall be further authorized and empowered to make arrests or issue summonses for evasion or attempts to evade the payment of tolls, fares or other charges which may be fixed or may have been fixed for the use of a bridge, tunnel, rapid transit system, or ferry, facility or other property owned, leased or operated by the Delaware River Port Authority or a subsidiary corporation. In addition, while acting within any other areas of the port district, police officers appointed by the Delaware River Port Authority shall have all of the powers, including the right to carry firearms while on duty, and all of the immunities conferred by law on police officers or municipal police officers in the enforcement of the laws of the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; provided that no police officer shall be so empowered unless the officer has satisfied all the training and requalification requirements of section 2 of this amendatory and supplementary act. To pass over any part of said bridges or through said tunnels and approaches thereto in any vehicle for which tolls shall be collectible, or for any person or vehicle to use the rapid transit systems or ferries or other facilities or property without passing through the toll gates or paying such tolls, fares or charges, shall constitute such evasion and shall subject the person so evading or attempting to evade such payment to arrest or receipt of a summons as aforesaid. Any such summons shall direct such person to appear before any proper judicial officer as defined in this section at such time as the summons shall direct. Upon the return of such summons or upon the apprehension or arrest of any person or persons for any of the other foregoing reasons, the offender may be taken before any proper judicial officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or of the State of New Jersey, without respect to the portion of the bridge, tunnel, ferry facility, rapid transit system, facilities or other property upon or within which such offense may have been committed or attempted or such offender arrested, and thereupon such judicial officer shall have the power and authority to punish such offender as hereinafter provided. The Delaware River Port Authority and its wholly-owned subsidiary corporations through which it is effectuating its authorized purposes shall have the power to adopt such rules and regulations as they may respectively deem expedient for the proper government of said bridges, tunnels, approaches thereto, rapid transit systems, ferries, facilities or other property and for the preservation of good order, safe traffic, and proper conduct thereon or therein. For any violation of any of the foregoing provisions of this act or of any rule or regulation adopted by the Delaware River Port Authority, or its said subsidiary corporations, or for any evasion or attempt to evade payment of tolls, fares or charges, the offender or offenders shall be subject to a fine or penalty of not less than $10.00 or more than $25.00, together with costs, to be adjudged by the proper judicial officer of the city and county of Philadelphia or other proper judicial officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or of the State of New Jersey before whom such offender or offenders may be brought; and on default of payment of such fine or penalty, then to imprisonment of not less than 10 days or more than 30 days in the place of incarceration decreed by said magistrate or other judicial officer; and upon conviction of any subsequent offense, shall be subject to a fine or penalty of not less than $25.00 or more than $50.00, together with costs, or to imprisonment of not less than 30 days or more than 60 days, or both, at the discretion of the said magistrate or other judicial officer.

L.1957, c.35, p.64, s.1; amended by L.1969, c.290, s.1; L.1975, c.348, s.1; L.1986, c.209, s.1.