48:3-38. Police for railroad, street railway, canal or steamboat companies

48:3-38. a. On the application of any railroad, street railway, canal or steamboat company the Governor may appoint such persons as the company may designate to act as policemen for the company. The Secretary of State shall issue to each person so appointed a commission, a copy of which shall be filed in the office of the Superintendent of State Police. Each appointee shall pay to the Secretary of State a fee of $25.00 for that commission.

All applications shall, in the first instance, be made to said superintendent. The superintendent shall investigate and determine the character, competency, integrity and fitness of the person or persons designated in the application. Notwithstanding any other provision of law in the case of any railroad, street railway, canal or steamboat company, the operations of which extend from this State to any other, such person or persons need not be residents of the State of New Jersey. If the application is approved by the superintendent, the applicant shall then present the approved application to the Governor.

Every person so appointed and commissioned shall, in the several counties, possess all the powers of policemen and constables in criminal cases of the several municipalities in such counties and shall be compensated by the company.

When on duty, except when employed as a detective, he shall wear in plain view a metallic shield or device with the words "railway police," "canal police" or "steamboat police" as may be appropriate, and the name or style of the company for whom he was appointed inscribed thereon.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein contained, all appointments made prior to the effective date of this enactment which meet the requirements thereof shall be and they hereby are declared to be valid.

When any such company shall file in the offices of the Superintendent of State Police a notice that it no longer requires the service of such policeman, his power as such shall cease and determine.

b. The provisions of subsection a. of this section do not apply to the New Jersey Transit Corporation established by P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-1 et seq.). The executive director of the corporation, through the chief of police of the New Jersey Transit Police Department, may appoint and employ transit police officers under the provisions of section 2 of this 1989 amendatory and supplementary act.

Amended 1951,c.275; 1987,c.435,s.15; 1989,c.291,s.1; 1991,c.386,s.4.