BILL NUMBER: S8146

SPONSOR: FUNKE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to granting
peace officer status to officers and members of the security force of
Rochester General Hospital

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To grant security officers at Rochester General Hospital with peace
officer powers subject to certain conditions

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends Section 2.10 of the Criminal Procedure Law by adding a
new subdivision 86, which will confer peace officer status on the
members of Rochester General Hospital's security force. The bill
provides that the peace officer powers would only apply on the grounds
owned, controlled, or administered by the Rochester General Hospital,
              

and public streets and sidewalks abutting those grounds.

Section 2: provides an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation will help to keep the public, patients, and employees
of Rochester General Hospital (RGH) safe. RGH is a 528-bed acute-care
facility serving the population of greater Rochester and Monroe County
area. It has one of the busiest emergency departments in the country
(ranked 11th in 2015-2016, and served over 120,000 emergency visits in
2017 alone. Like many other large hospitals, RGH has experienced an
increase in illegal and violent behavior over the past decade, and in
general, security risks have increased at hospitals nationwide over the
same timeframe. Much of the behavior making hospitals dangerous is driv-
en by patients with behavioral issues and opioid addictions, which is a
particularly widespread issue in western New York. Additionally, RGH
faces special challenges due to the sheer volume of its emergency room
activity, which treats a steady flow of victims of violence.

While RGH has taken a number of steps to improve its security features,
such as the implementation of metal detectors, conferring peace officer
status on its security force is an important step to keep the community,
patients, and staff safe. Current law provides that security officers
are limited to make a citizen's arrest if, and only if the guard reason-
ably believes the individual has committed an offense, and of the indi-
vidual has in fact committed such offense.  Once peace officer status is
conferred upon RGH's security staff, they will enjoy the privilege of
being protected so long as the officer has "reasonable cause" to believe
that an offense has been committed and "reasonably believes" that the
force used is necessary to effectuate the arrest. RGH's security, of
course, has no interest in making false or inappropriate arrests, but
the expanded lawful privilege of peace officer status would enhance the
staff's ability to execute meaningful intervention when needed.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:  None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.