Bill > S1659

This bill amends Section 110 of Chapter 205 of the Acts of 1996 to grant concurrent police authority to municipal police departments within Massachusetts Port Authority (MPA) properties located in their municipalities. This means that local police will share law enforcement responsibilities with the state police on these MPA properties, with the exception of areas specifically dedicated to aviation and port operations. For this shared authority to take effect, a municipal police department must adopt this section, and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) must be established between the state police and the adopting municipal police department. This MOU, developed in consultation with the MPA and to ensure public safety, will outline specific procedures for police officer assignments, handling emergency calls and dispatch, responding to emergencies on MPA properties, conducting criminal investigations, and managing arrests and the processing of individuals taken into custody.