(a) There shall be in the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection a State Urban Violence and Cooperative Crime Control Task Force that shall conduct and coordinate investigations in connection with crimes of violence and other criminal activity deemed beyond the ability of local authorities to contain.

(b) Upon agreement between the chief elected official or chief of police of any municipality and the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the task force may conduct any investigation under the direction of the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, or the commissioner’s designee, at any place within the state it deems necessary.

(c) The task force may request and may receive from any federal, state or local agency, cooperation and assistance in the performance of its duties, including the temporary assignment of personnel necessary to carry out the performance of its functions.

(d) The task force may enter into mutual assistance and cooperation agreements with other states pertaining to law enforcement matters extending across state boundaries and may consult and exchange information and personnel with agencies of other states with reference to law enforcement problems of mutual concern.

(e) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall appoint a commanding officer and such other personnel as the commissioner deems necessary for the duties of the task force, within available appropriations.

(f) In order to participate in and utilize the task force, a municipality shall petition the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection for assistance. Such petition shall contain a description of the problem, a record of the efforts made to solve or contain the problem by local authorities and a request for the deployment of the task force to address specific problems or investigations. The task force may deploy subject to agreement as described in subsection (b) of this section. Municipalities participating in the task force shall assign local resources and personnel to the extent of their ability to do so.

(g) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection may select such personnel from any municipality of the state as the commissioner deems necessary to act as temporary special state police officers to carry out the duties of the task force.

(h) Any municipal police officer while assigned to duty with the task force and working at the direction of the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, or the commissioner’s designee, shall, when acting within the scope of such officer’s authority, have the same powers, duties, privileges and immunities as are conferred upon a state police officer.

(i) Each municipality shall be responsible for the full payment of the compensation of personnel temporarily assigned to the task force and such salary shall be payable to such assigned personnel while on duty with the task force.

(j) For purposes of indemnification of such personnel and its municipalities against any losses, damages or liabilities arising out of the service and activities of the task force, personnel while assigned to, and performing the duties of, the task force shall be deemed to be acting as employees of the state.