1. The director of the department of public safety shall employ Missouri capitol police officers for public safety at the seat of state government. Each Missouri capitol police officer, upon appointment, shall take and subscribe an oath of office to support the constitution and laws of the United States and the state of Missouri and shall receive a certificate of appointment, a copy of which shall be filed with the secretary of state, granting such police officers all the same powers of arrest held by other police officers to maintain order and preserve the peace in all state-owned or leased buildings, and the grounds thereof, at the seat of government and such buildings and grounds within the county which contains the seat of government.

2. The director of the department of public safety shall appoint a sufficient number of Missouri capitol police officers, with available appropriations, as appropriated specifically for the purpose designated in this subsection, so that the capitol grounds may be patrolled at all times, and that traffic and parking upon the capitol grounds and the grounds of other state buildings owned or leased within the capital city and the county which contains the seat of government may be properly controlled. Missouri capitol police officers may make arrests for the violation of parking and traffic regulations promulgated by the office of administration.

3. Missouri capitol police officers shall be authorized to arrest a person anywhere in the county that contains the state seat of government, when there is probable cause to believe the person committed a crime within capitol police jurisdiction or when a person commits a crime in the presence of an on-duty capitol police officer.