The State Mental Health Officer may appoint or employ one or more suitable persons to act as police officers to arrest intruders, trespassers, and persons guilty of improper or disorderly conduct on the property of state mental health facilities or hospitals. Such officers shall be charged with all the duties and invested with all the powers of police officers and may eject trespassers from the hospital grounds, buildings, or lands or arrest them and may, without warrant, arrest any person guilty of abuse of a patient, of a misdemeanor or disorderly conduct, of stealing or injuring property or other offenses committed on the lands or premises of the hospitals and take such person before a district court judge or other officer charged with trial of such offenders, before whom, upon proper affidavit charging the offense, the person so arrested shall be tried and, if found guilty, convicted as in cases of persons brought before such a court on a warrant. Such police officer shall have authority to summon a posse comitatus.
Structure Code of Alabama
Title 22 - Health, Mental Health, and Environmental Control.
Chapter 50 - Department of Mental Health; Board of Trustees.
Article 1 - General Provisions.
Section 22-50-1 - Definitions.
Section 22-50-2 - Department - Created; Composition; Divisions; Offices.
Section 22-50-2.1 - Department - Name Changed; Transition Period.
Section 22-50-3 - Department - Disposition of Fees, Receipts and Income.
Section 22-50-4 - Department - Public Corporation.
Section 22-50-5 - Board of Trustees - Membership; Officers; Initial Appointments; Terms.
Section 22-50-6 - Board of Trustees - Subsequent Appointments to Board; Vacancies.
Section 22-50-8 - Board of Trustees - Expenses of Trustees.
Section 22-50-9 - Department - Powers Generally.
Section 22-50-11 - Department - Additional and Cumulative Powers.
Section 22-50-12 - Department - Legal Division.
Section 22-50-13 - Department - Annual Report.
Section 22-50-14 - Department - Requests for Budget Funds.
Section 22-50-15 - Funds for Essential Functions.
Section 22-50-16 - Commissioner of Mental Health.
Section 22-50-18 - Commitment and Release of Incompetents, Etc.
Section 22-50-19 - Judicial Review of Final Order or Decision by Department.
Section 22-50-21 - Police Officers for State Mental Health Facilities or Hospitals.
Section 22-50-23 - Penalties for Violation of Chapter, Etc.
Section 22-50-24 - Repeal of Conflicting Laws; Certain Laws Not Repealed.