Terms Used In Florida Statutes 23.127

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • 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.
  • law enforcement agency: means any agency or unit of government that has authority to employ or appoint law enforcement officers, as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 23.1225
  • mutual aid agreement: as used in this part , refers to one of the following types of agreement:
    (a) A voluntary cooperation written agreement between two or more law enforcement agencies, which agreement permits voluntary cooperation and assistance of a routine law enforcement nature across jurisdictional lines. See Florida Statutes 23.1225
  • political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01

(1) Any employee of any Florida law enforcement agency who renders aid outside the employee’s jurisdiction but inside this state pursuant to the written agreement entered under this part has the same powers, duties, rights, privileges, and immunities as if the employee was performing duties inside the employee’s jurisdiction. Any employee rendering aid pursuant to an interstate mutual aid agreement entered under this part shall have such powers, duties, rights, privileges, and immunities as the parties agree are consistent with the laws of the jurisdictions involved and with the purposes for which such agreement was entered.
(2) A political subdivision that furnishes equipment pursuant to this part must bear the cost of loss or damage to that equipment and must pay any expense incurred in the operation and maintenance of that equipment unless otherwise provided in the written agreement entered under this part. The political subdivision furnishing aid pursuant to this part shall compensate its employees during the time of the rendering of aid and shall defray the actual travel and maintenance expenses of its employees while they are rendering aid, including any amounts paid or due for compensation for personal injury or death while its employees are rendering aid, unless otherwise provided in the agreement entered under this part.
(3) The privileges and immunities from liability, exemption from laws, ordinances, and rules, and pension, insurance, relief, disability, workers’ compensation, salary, death, and other benefits that apply to the activity of an employee of an agency when performing the employee’s duties within the territorial limits of the employee’s agency apply to the employee to the same degree, manner, and extent while engaged in the performance of the employee’s duties extraterritorially under the provisions of the mutual aid agreement. This section applies to paid, volunteer, and auxiliary employees.
(4) A mutual aid agreement between law enforcement agencies in this state and any law enforcement agencies of another state or of the United States or its territories has the status of an interstate compact, but in any case or controversy involving performance or interpretation thereof or liability thereunder, the law enforcement agencies party thereto are real parties in interest and the state may maintain an action to recoup or otherwise make itself whole for any damages or liability that it incurs by reason of being joined as a party therein. Such action is maintainable against any public agency or agencies whose acts or omissions caused or contributed to the incurring of damages or liability by the state.