§ 77-38.  Authority of law enforcement officers and special officers.

(a) Where a joint ordinance so provides, all law enforcement officers, or those officers as may be designated in the joint ordinance, with territorial jurisdiction as to any part of Lake Wylie or its shoreline area, within the limitations of their subject matter jurisdiction, have the authority of peace officers in enforcing the laws over all of Lake Wylie and its shoreline area.

(b) Where a joint ordinance provides it, the Commission may hire special officers to patrol and enforce the laws on Lake Wylie and its shoreline area.  These special officers have and may exercise all the powers of peace officers generally within the area in question and shall take the oaths and are subject to all provisions of law relating to law enforcement officers.

(c) Every criminal violation must be tried in the county where it occurred.  However, a certificate of training by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, or a similar certificate issued by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission or the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission will suffice for certification in both states for the purposes of this article.

(d) Where a law enforcement officer with jurisdiction over any part of Lake Wylie or its shoreline area is performing duties relating to the enforcement of the laws on Lake Wylie or in its shoreline area, he has such extraterritorial jurisdiction as may be necessary to perform his duties.  These duties include investigation of crimes an officer reasonably believes have been, or are about to be, committed within the area in question.  This includes traversing by reasonable routes from one portion of this area to another although across territory not within the boundaries of Lake Wylie and its shoreline area; conducting prisoners in custody to a court or detention facilities as may be authorized by law, although this may involve going outside the area in question; execution of process connected with any criminal offense alleged to have been committed within the boundaries in question, except that this process may not be executed by virtue of this provision beyond the boundaries of the three counties.  This also includes continuing pursuit of and arresting any violator or suspected violator as to which grounds for arrest arose within the area in question.

(e) Where law enforcement officers are given additional territorial jurisdiction under the provisions of this section, this is considered an extension of the duties of the office held and no officer shall take any additional oath or title of office. (1987, c. 683, s. 9; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 897, s. 9.)