Reply #35: I want to join the Meadville Pennsylvania State Police.... [View All]

[happyslug]

I believe that is their name (It has been a few years since I heard of them). Any way about 1900 the Pennsylvania Legislature was asked by a group of men out of Meadville (I may be wrong about the city but I am sticking with it till I can find out positively the correct name) to authorize them as "State Police" to chase down "Horse thieves" and other felons. Since it would cost the State Nothing, the State Authorized this s "Meadville State Police Force". A few years later (in 1903) Pennsylvania would form the REAL Pennsylvania State Police (A professional Police Force) but the State Assembly NEVER revoked the previous authorization to the "Meadville State Police Force".

Now the "Meadville State Police Force" is nothing more than a club, it has not chase down any Horse thieves in decades, and while ready willing and able to chase Criminals, it has not been asked to do so for decades (Except for assistance in looking for someone lost in the woods etc).

Under the wording of this Statute if I was member of the"Meadville State Police" a authorized STATE POLICE force of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I could wear my gun to New York City. I would not need ANY Training (all the training this statute requires is whatever training the "Meadville State Police" requires).

My point is this LAW is unworkable WITHOUT FEDERAL LAW SAYING WHAT IS A POLICE FORCE. I can see it be used to further federalized local Police Forces (By saying you have to meet X requirements for you to be a "Police Force" for the purposes of this stature, and if you are NOT a "Police Force" under this statute you are NOT a "Police Force" for ANY federal purpose).

Remember this is the FIRST statute that REQUIRES one state accepting what another state says is a POLICE OFFICER. Sooner or later WHAT is a Police Force for this statute will have to be adopted. It should be by further legislation but could be by Regulations or even a ruling by the Courts.

One way a Court can changed this statute would be to rule that this statute only applies to full time police officers, so that members of the "Meadville Pennsylvania State Police" would NOT be police officers under this statute for their are NOT full time even through there have meet every requirements of the "Meadville Pennsylvania State Police Force". The problem with this ruling is that it leads to another set of problems, I live in a Urban/Rural County, in my county there are some Rural Police Officers who DO NOT WORK FULL TIME AT ANY ONE POLICE FORCE, Instead they work 2-3 local Police Forces (For more than 40 hours per week). If the court ruled you have to be a full time officer, none of these officers are full time and again do not come under this statute.

My point here is this statute without a Definition of what is a "Police Officer" will lead to problems and to a FEDERAL ruling what is a "Police Force". What that decision is made, be it by further legislation, Regulations, or Court Decision, it will be in effect having the Federal Government define what is a "Police Force", for good or bad.