North Carolina General Statutes 143B-911. Creation of State Capitol Police Division; powers and duties
(a) Division Established. – There is created the State Capitol Police Division of the Department of Public Safety with the organization, powers, and duties defined in Article 1 of this Chapter, except as modified in this Part.
(b) Purpose. – The State Capitol Police Division shall serve as a police agency of the Department of Public Safety. The Chief of the State Capitol Police, appointed by the Secretary pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-602, with the approval of the Governor, may appoint as police officers such reliable persons as the Chief may deem necessary.
(c) Appointment of Officers. – Police officers appointed pursuant to this section may not exercise the power of arrest until they shall take an oath, to be administered by any person authorized to administer oaths, as required by law.
(d) Jurisdiction of Officers. – Each State Capitol Police officer shall have the following authority:
(1) The same power of arrest as the police officers of the City of Raleigh. Such authority may be exercised within the same territorial jurisdiction as exercised by the police officers of the City of Raleigh.
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 143B-911
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
(2) The same authority as a deputy sheriff in buildings and on the grounds of property owned, leased, or maintained by the State located in Wake County.
(3) The same authority as a deputy sheriff in a building or a portion of a building, or on the grounds thereof, when owned or leased by the State, located anywhere in the State, when the State agency responsible for that building or any portion thereof executes a written agreement for service with the State Capitol Police related to that specific building or portion thereof.
(e) Public Safety. – The Chief of the State Capitol Police, or the Chief’s designee, shall exercise at all times those means that, in the opinion of the Chief or the designee, may be effective in protecting all State buildings and grounds, except for the State legislative buildings and grounds as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 120-32.1(d), and the persons within those buildings and grounds from fire, bombs, bomb threats, or any other emergency or potentially hazardous conditions, including both the ordering and control of the evacuation of those buildings and grounds. The Chief, or the Chief’s designee, may employ the assistance of other available law enforcement agencies and emergency agencies to aid and assist in evacuations of those buildings and grounds. (2009-451, s. 17.3(f); 2011-145, s. 19.1(g), (u), (y); 2014-100, s. 17.1(i); 2015-241, s. 16A.7(f); 2015-267, s. 3; 2017-57, s. 16B.10(c); 2023-86, s. 1(a).)