2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 42 - State Affairs and Government › Chapter 42-37 - New England State Police Compact › Section 42-37-1. - New England State Police Compact.

§ 42-37-1. New England State Police Compact.
The New England State Police Compact is hereby entered into and enacted into law with any and all of the states legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows:
The purposes of this compact are to:
(1)
Provide close and effective cooperation and assistance in detecting and apprehending those engaged in organized criminal activities;
(2)
Establish and maintain a central criminal intelligence bureau to gather, evaluate and disseminate to the appropriate law enforcement officers of the party states information concerning organized crime, its leaders and their associates;
(3)
Provide mutual aid and assistance in the event of police emergencies, and to provide for the powers, duties, rights, privileges and immunities of police personnel when rendering such aid.
(a)
This compact shall enter into force when enacted into law by any three (3) of the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Thereafter, this compact shall become effective as to any other of the aforementioned states upon its enactment thereof.
(b)
Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until one year after the governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the governors of all other party states. No withdrawal shall effect any liability already incurred by or chargeable to a party state prior to the time of such withdrawal, and any records, files, or information obtained by officers or employees of a withdrawing state shall continue to be kept, used, and disposed of only in such manner as is consistent with this compact and any rules or regulations pursuant thereto.
(a)
There is hereby established the “New England State Police Administrators’ Conference,” hereinafter called the “Conference,” to be composed of the administrative head of the state police department of each party state.
(b)
If authorized by the laws of his or her party state, the administrative head of the state police department of a party state may provide for the discharge of his or her duties and the performance of his or her functions on the conference, for periods none of which shall exceed fifteen (15) days, by an alternate. No such alternate shall be entitled to serve unless notification of his or her identity and appointment shall have been given to the conference in such form as the conference may require.
(c)
An alternate serving pursuant to subdivision (b) of this article shall be selected only from among the officers and employees of the state police department, the head of which such alternate is to represent.
(d)
The members of the conference shall be entitled to one vote each. No action of the conference shall be binding unless taken at a meeting at which a majority of the total number of votes on the conference are cast in favor thereof. Action of the conference shall be only at a meeting at which a majority of the members of the conference, or their alternates, are present.
(e)
The conference shall have a seal.
(f)
The conference shall elect annually, from among its members, a chairperson, (who shall not be eligible to succeed himself or herself) a vice chairperson, and a treasurer. The conference shall appoint an executive secretary and fix his or her duties and compensation. Such executive secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the conference, and together with the treasurer shall be bonded in such amount as the conference shall determine. The executive secretary also shall serve as general secretary of the conference.
(g)
Irrespective of the civil service, personnel or other merit system laws of any of the party states, the executive secretary subject to the direction of the conference, shall appoint, remove or discharge such personnel as may be necessary for the performance of the conference functions, and shall fix the duties and compensation of such personnel.
(h)
The conference may establish and maintain independently or in conjunction with any one or more of the party states, a suitable retirement system for its full-time employees. Employees of the conference shall be eligible for social security coverage in respect of old age and survivor’s insurance provided that the conference takes such steps as may be necessary pursuant to the laws of the United States, to participate in such program of insurance as a governmental agency or unit. The conference may establish and maintain or participate in such additional programs of employee benefits as may be appropriate. Employment by the conference of a retired officer or employee of a party state shall not affect the pension or other retirement-connected benefits paid to such officer or employee by a party state.
(i)
The conference may borrow, accept or contract for the services of personnel from any party state, the United States, or any subdivision or agency of the aforementioned governments, or from any agency of two (2) or more of the party states or their subdivisions.
(j)
The conference may accept for any of its purposes and functions under this compact any and all donations, grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials, and services, conditional or otherwise, from any state, the United States, or any other governmental agency, or from any person, firm or corporation, and may receive, utilize and dispose of the same. The conference shall publish in its annual report the terms, conditions, character, and amount of any resources accepted by it pursuant hereto together with the identity of the donor.
(k)
The conference may establish and maintain such facilities as may be necessary for the transacting of its business. The conference may acquire, hold, and convey real and personal property and any interest therein.
(l)
The conference shall adopt bylaws for the conduct of its business and shall have the power to amend and rescind these bylaws. The conference shall publish its bylaws in convenient form and shall file a copy thereof and a copy of any amendment thereto, with the appropriate agency or officer in each of the party states. The bylaws shall provide for appropriate notice to the conference members of all conference meetings.
(m)
The conference annually shall make to the governor and legislature of each party state a report covering the activities of the conference for the preceding year, and embodying such recommendations as may have been issued by the conference. The conference may make such additional reports as it may deem desirable.
The conference shall have power to:
(1)
Establish and operate a New England Criminal Intelligence Bureau, hereinafter called “the Bureau,” in which shall be received, assembled and kept case histories, records, data, personal dossiers, and other information concerning persons engaged or otherwise associated with organized crime.
(2)
Consider and recommend means of identifying leaders and emerging leaders of organized crime and their associates.
(3)
Facilitate mutual assistance among the state police of the party states pursuant to article VII of this compact.
(4)
Formulate procedures for claims and reimbursements, pursuant to article VII of this compact.
(5)
Promote cooperation in law enforcement and make recommendations to the party states and other appropriate law enforcement authorities for the improvement of such cooperation.
(6)
Do all things which may be necessary and incidental to the exercise of the foregoing powers.
The bureau established and operated pursuant to article IV(a) of this compact is hereby designated and recognized as the instrument for the performance of a central criminal intelligence service to the state police departments of the party states. The files, records, data and other information of the bureau and, when made pursuant to the bylaws of the conference, any copies thereof shall be available only to duly designated officers and employees of the state police departments of the party states acting within the scope of their official duty. In the possession of the aforesaid officers and employees, such records, data, and other information shall be subject to use and disposition in the same manner and pursuant to the same laws, rules and regulations applicable to similar records, data, and information of the officer’s or employee’s agency and the provision of this compact.
The members of the conference from any two (2) or more party states, upon notice to the chairperson as to the time and purpose of the meeting, may meet as a section for the discussion of problems common to their states. Any two (2) or more party states may designate the conference as a joint agency to maintain “for them” such additional common services as they may deem desirable for combating organized crime. Except in those cases where all party states join in such designation for common services, the representative of any group of such designating states in the conference shall constitute a separate section of such conference for the performance of the common service or services so designated provided that, if any additional expense is involved, the state so acting shall provide the necessary funds for this purpose. The creation of such a section or joint agency shall not affect the privileges, powers, responsibilities or duties of the states participating therein as embodied in the other articles of this compact.
(a)
As used in this article:
(1)
“Emergency”
means an occurrence or condition, temporary in nature, in which the state police department of a party state is, or may reasonably be expected to be, unable to cope with substantial and imminent danger to the public safety, and in which the cooperation of or aid from local police forces within the state is, or may reasonably be expected to be insufficient. Also
“emergency”
shall mean a situation in which an investigation of an aspect of organized crime, or events connected with organized crime, require augmentation, for a limited time, of the investigative personnel of the state police department from without the state.
(2)
“Requesting state”
means the state whose state police department requests assistance in coping with an emergency.
(3)
“Responding state”
means the state furnishing aid, or requested to furnish aid, pursuant to this article.
(b)
In case of emergency, upon the request of the administrative head of the state police department of a party state, the administrative head of the state police department of each responding state, shall order such part of his or her state police forces as he or she, in his or her discretion, may find necessary, to aid the state police forces of the requesting state in order to carry out the purposes set forth in this compact. In such case, it shall be the duty of the administrative head of the state police department of each responding state to issue the necessary orders for such use of state police forces of his or her state without the borders of his or her state, and to direct such forces to place themselves under the operational control of the administrative head of the state police department of the requesting state.
(c)
The administrative head of the state police department of any party state, in his or her discretion, may withhold or recall the police forces of his or her state or any part or any member thereof, serving without its borders.
(d)
Whenever any of the state police forces of any party state are engaged outside their own state in carrying out the purposes of this compact, the individual members so engaged shall have the same powers, duties, rights, privileges and immunities as members of the state police department of the state in which they are engaged, but in any event, a requesting state shall save harmless any members of a responding state police department serving within its borders for any act or acts done by him or her in the performance of his or her duty while engaged in carrying out the purposes of this compact.
(e)
All liability that may arise under the laws of the requesting state or under the laws of the responding state or under the laws of a third state on account of or in connection with a request for aid, shall be assumed and borne by the requesting state.
(f)
Any responding state rendering aid pursuant to this compact shall be reimbursed by the requesting state for any loss or damage to, or expense incurred in the operation of any equipment answering a request for aid, and for the cost of the materials, transportation and maintenance of state police personnel and equipment incurred in connection with such request: provided, that nothing herein contained shall prevent any responding state from assuming such loss, damage, expense or other cost.
(g)
Each party state shall provide, in the same amounts and manner as if they were on duty within their state, for the pay and allowances of the personnel of its state police department while engaged without the state pursuant to this compact and while going to and returning from such duty pursuant to this compact.
(h)
Each party state providing for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured members and the representatives of deceased members of its state police department in case such members sustain injuries or are killed within their own state, shall provide for the payment of compensation and death benefits in the same manner and on the same terms in case such members sustain injury or are killed while rendering aid pursuant to this compact.
(a)
The conference shall submit to the governor or designated officer or officers of each party state a budget of its estimated expenditures for such period as may be required by the laws of that party state for presentation to the legislature thereof.
(b)
Each of the conference’s budgets of estimated expenditures shall contain specific recommendations of the amount or amounts to be appropriated by each of the party states. The total amount of appropriations under any such budget shall be apportioned among the party states as follows: one-third (
1
/
3
) in equal shares; one-third (
1
/
3
) divided among the party states in the proportions that their populations bear to the total population of all the party states; and one-third (
1
/
3
) divided among the party states in the proportions that the major crimes committed in each party state bear to the total number of major crimes committed in all the party states. In determining population pursuant to this paragraph, the most recent decennial census compiled by the United States government shall be used. Numbers of major crimes shall be as reported in the most recent annual “Uniform Crime Report” compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States Department of Justice, or by any agency which may assume responsibility for such compilation in the place of such bureau. In the event that any source of information required to be used for the purpose of this paragraph shall be discontinued, the conference shall make its calculations on the basis of the best alternative sources of information and shall identify the sources used.
(c)
The conference shall not pledge the credit of any party state. The conference may meet any of its obligations in whole or in part with funds available to it under article III (j) of this compact, provided that the conference takes specific action setting aside such funds prior to incurring any obligation to be met in whole or in part in such manner. Except where the conference makes use of funds available to it under article III (j) hereof, the conference shall not incur any obligation prior to the allotment of funds by the party states adequate to meet the same.
(d)
The conference shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements. The receipts and disbursements of the conference shall be subject to the audit and accounting procedures established under its rules. However, all receipts and disbursements of funds handled by the conference shall be audited yearly by a qualified, public accountant and the report of the audit shall be included in and become part of the annual report of the conference.
(e)
The accounts of the conference shall be open at any reasonable time for inspection by duly constituted officers of the party states and any persons authorized by the conference.
(f)
Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent conference compliance with laws relating to audit or inspection of accounts by or on behalf of any government contributing to the support of the conference.
This compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state participating herein, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining party states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.
History of Section.
G.L. 1956, § 42-37-1; P.L. 1965, ch. 106, § 1.