Whenever the necessity arises (i) for the enforcement of laws designed to control or prohibit the use or sale of controlled drugs as defined in § 54.1-3401 or laws contained in Article 3 (§ 18.2-47 et seq.) of Chapter 4 or Article 3 (§ 18.2-346 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 18.2, (ii) in response to any law-enforcement emergency involving any immediate threat to life or public safety, (iii) during the execution of the provisions of Article 4 (§ 37.2-808 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 37.2 or § 16.1-340 or 16.1-340.1 relating to orders for temporary detention or emergency custody for mental health evaluation or (iv) during any emergency resulting from the existence of a state of war, internal disorder, or fire, flood, epidemic or other public disaster, the police officers and other officers, agents and employees of any locality, the police officers of the Division of Capitol Police, and the police of any state-supported institution of higher learning appointed pursuant to subsection B of § 23.1-812 may, together with all necessary equipment, lawfully go or be sent beyond the territorial limits of such locality, such agency, or such state-supported institution of higher learning to any point within or without the Commonwealth to assist in meeting such emergency or need, or while en route to a part of the jurisdiction which is only accessible by roads outside the jurisdiction. However, the police of any state-supported institution of higher learning may be sent only to a locality within the Commonwealth, or locality outside the Commonwealth, whose boundaries are contiguous with the locality in which such institution is located. No member of a police force of any state-supported institution of higher learning shall be sent beyond the territorial limits of the locality in which such institution is located unless such member has met the requirements established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services as provided in clause (i) of subdivision 2 of § 9.1-102.
In such event the acts performed for such purpose by such police officers or other officers, agents or employees and the expenditures made for such purpose by such locality, such agency, or a state-supported institution of higher learning shall be deemed conclusively to be for a public and governmental purpose, and all of the immunities from liability enjoyed by a locality, agency, or a state-supported institution of higher learning when acting through its police officers or other officers, agents or employees for a public or governmental purpose within its territorial limits shall be enjoyed by it to the same extent when such locality, agency, or a state-supported institution of higher learning within the Commonwealth is so acting, under this section or under other lawful authority, beyond its territorial limits.
The police officers and other officers, agents and employees of any locality, agency, or a state-supported institution of higher learning when acting hereunder or under other lawful authority beyond the territorial limits of such locality, agency, or such state-supported institution of higher learning shall have all of the immunities from liability and exemptions from laws, ordinances and regulations and shall have all of the pension, relief, disability, workers' compensation and other benefits enjoyed by them while performing their respective duties within the territorial limits of such locality, agency, or such state-supported institution of higher learning.
Code 1950, § 15-552; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-131; 1968, c. 800; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 238; 1976, c. 457; 1977, c. 79; 1979, c. 503; 1984, c. 779; 1992, c. 566; 1993, c. 860; 1995, c. 844; 1997, c. 587; 2008, c. 437; 2010, cc. 778, 825; 2013, c. 428; 2020, c. 122.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 15.2 - Counties, Cities and Towns
Chapter 17 - Police and Public Order
§ 15.2-1700. Preservation of peace and good order
§ 15.2-1701. Organization of police forces
§ 15.2-1702. Referendum required prior to establishment of county police force
§ 15.2-1703. Referendum to abolish county police force
§ 15.2-1704. Powers and duties of police force
§ 15.2-1705. Minimum qualifications; waiver
§ 15.2-1707. Decertification of law-enforcement officers
§ 15.2-1708. Notice of decertification
§ 15.2-1710. Fees and other compensation
§ 15.2-1710.1. Arrest or summons quota prohibited
§ 15.2-1712. Employment of off-duty officers
§ 15.2-1713. Localities authorized to offer and pay rewards in felony and misdemeanor cases
§ 15.2-1713.1. Local "Crime Stoppers" programs; confidentiality
§ 15.2-1714. Establishing police lines, perimeters, or barricades
§ 15.2-1715. Authority to declare Intensified Drug Enforcement Jurisdictions; expenditure of funds
§ 15.2-1716. Reimbursement of expenses incurred in responding to DUI and related incidents
§ 15.2-1716.2. Methamphetamine lab cleanup costs; localities may charge for reimbursement
§ 15.2-1717. Preventing interference with pupils at schools
§ 15.2-1717.1. Designation of police to enforce trespass violations
§ 15.2-1718. Receipt of missing child reports
§ 15.2-1718.1. Receipt of missing senior adult reports
§ 15.2-1718.2. Receipt of critically missing adult reports
§ 15.2-1719. Disposal of unclaimed property in possession of sheriff or police
§ 15.2-1721. Disposal of unclaimed firearms or other weapons in possession of sheriff or police
§ 15.2-1721.1. Acquisition of military property by localities
§ 15.2-1722. Certain records to be kept by sheriffs and chiefs of police
§ 15.2-1722.1. Prohibited practices; collection of data
§ 15.2-1723. Validation of certain police forces
§ 15.2-1723.1. Body-worn camera system
§ 15.2-1723.2. (Effective until July 1, 2026) Facial recognition technology; approval; penalty
§ 15.2-1723.2. (Effective July 1, 2026) Facial recognition technology; approval
§ 15.2-1724. Police and other officers may be sent beyond territorial limits
§ 15.2-1725.1. Concurrent jurisdiction; limitations
§ 15.2-1727. Reciprocal agreements with localities outside the Commonwealth
§ 15.2-1728. Mutual aid agreements between police departments and federal authorities
§ 15.2-1730. Calling upon law-enforcement officers of counties, cities or towns for assistance
§ 15.2-1730.1. Authority and immunity of sheriffs and deputies
§ 15.2-1731. Establishment, etc., authorized; powers, authority and immunities generally
§ 15.2-1732. Appropriations for equipment and maintenance
§ 15.2-1735. Acting beyond limits of jurisdiction of locality
§ 15.2-1736. Mutual aid agreements among governing bodies of localities
§ 15.2-1747. Creation of academies
§ 15.2-1748. Powers of the academies
§ 15.2-1750. Governmental units authorized to appropriate or lend funds
§ 15.2-1751. Exemption from taxation