2023 New York Laws › TWN - Town › Article 10 - Police › 158 - Special Police Officers.

§  158.  Special police officers. 1. The town board of any town of the
  first class and the town board of any town of  the  second  class  which
  shall  have a population of five thousand or more as shown by the latest
  federal census, whether there be a police department  in  and  for  such
  town  or  not, may employ temporary police officers from time to time as
  the town board may  determine  their  services  necessary.  Such  police
  officers  shall be known as "special police officers" and shall have all
  the power and authority conferred upon constables by the general laws of
  the state and such additional powers,  not  inconsistent  with  law,  as
  shall be conferred upon them by the town board. They shall be subject to
  the general authority and direction of the town board and to such orders
  and  regulations  as the town board may prescribe, not inconsistent with
  law. Such special police officers shall serve at  the  pleasure  of  the
  town  board  and  the  town  board  shall fix their compensation and may
  purchase uniforms and equipment therefor  but  no  such  special  police
  officers  shall  be appointed nor any expense incurred by reason thereof
  unless said town board  shall  have  provided  therefor  in  its  annual
  budget,  previously  adopted, and no expenditure shall be made in excess
  of the budget appropriation  therefor.  Such  special  police  shall  be
  appointed  in accordance with the civil service law and rules. Provided,
  however, and notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of  this  section,
  the  town  board  of any such town may, when in their judgment necessary
  for the preservation of the public peace during any emergency period  of
  sixty  days  or  less, appoint and at pleasure remove within such period
  additional special police officers not exceeding five in number, without
  examination, and fix their compensation which shall be a town charge and
  be paid from moneys available for expenditure for general town purposes.
2. The town board of a town of the second class  which  shall  have  a
  population  of  less  than  five thousand as shown by the latest federal
  census, may adopt a resolution,  subject  to  a  permissive  referendum,
  determining  to  employ  one or more temporary police officers, provided
  that such town has a population of one thousand or more according to the
  latest federal census or that such town adjoins a city. Towns  having  a
  population in excess of one thousand may employ one additional temporary
  police  officer  for each one thousand population in excess of the first
  one thousand but the total number of police officers so  employed  shall
  not  exceed five. Such police officers shall be known as "special police
  officers" and shall have all the  power  and  authority  conferred  upon
  constables  by the general laws of the state and such additional powers,
  not inconsistent with law, as shall be conferred upon them by  the  town
  board.  They  shall be subject to the general authority and direction of
  the town board and to such orders and regulations as the town board  may
  prescribe, not inconsistent with law. Such special police officers shall
  serve  at  the  pleasure  of the town board and the town board shall fix
  their compensation and may purchase uniforms and equipment therefor. The
  compensation of such  officer  or  officers,  and  the  expense  of  the
  uniforms and equipment therefor if purchased by the town board, shall be
  a  town  charge and the amount thereof shall be assessed and levied upon
  the taxable property of the town and collected in  the  same  manner  as
  other town charges are assessed, levied and collected.
Notwithstanding  such limitations upon their number, any such town may
  employ not more than five temporary police officers for a period of  not
  to exceed three days in any calendar week.