The Florida Senate

23.1225  Mutual aid agreements.--

(1)  The term "mutual aid agreement," as used in this part, refers to one of the following types of agreement:

(a)  A voluntary cooperation written agreement between two or more law enforcement agencies, or between one or more law enforcement agencies and either a school board that employs school safety officers or a state university that employs or appoints university police officers in accordance with s. 240.268, which agreement permits voluntary cooperation and assistance of a routine law enforcement nature across jurisdictional lines. The agreement must specify the nature of the law enforcement assistance to be rendered, the agency or entity that shall bear any liability arising from acts undertaken under the agreement, the procedures for requesting and for authorizing assistance, the agency or entity that has command and supervisory responsibility, a time limit for the agreement, the amount of any compensation or reimbursement to the assisting agency or entity, and any other terms and conditions necessary to give it effect. Examples of law enforcement activities that may be addressed in a voluntary cooperation written agreement include, but are not limited to, establishing a joint city-county task force on narcotics smuggling, authorizing school safety officers to enforce laws in an area within 1,000 feet of a school or school board property, or establishing a joint city-county traffic enforcement task force.

(b)  A requested operational assistance written agreement between two or more law enforcement agencies, or between one or more law enforcement agencies and either a school board that employs school safety officers or a state university that employs or appoints university police officers in accordance with s. 240.268, which agreement is for the rendering of assistance in a law enforcement emergency. The agreement must specify the nature of the law enforcement assistance to be rendered, the agency or entity that shall bear any liability arising from acts undertaken under the agreement, the procedures for requesting and for authorizing assistance, the agency or entity that has command and supervisory responsibility, a time limit for the agreement, the amount of any compensation or reimbursement to the assisting agency or entity, and any other terms and conditions necessary to give it effect. An example of the use of a requested operational assistance written agreement is to meet a request for assistance due to a civil disturbance or other emergency as defined in s. 252.34.

(c)  A combination of the agreements described in paragraphs (a) and (b).

(2)  A mutual aid agreement may allow for discretion by the parties as to when, whether, and to what extent assistance will be available.

(3)  A mutual aid agreement may be entered into by:

(a)  A sheriff;

(b)  A mayor or chief executive officer of a municipality or county on behalf of a law enforcement agency, if authorized by the governing body of the municipality or county;

(c)  A school board that employs school safety officers; or

(d)  A state university that employs or appoints university police officers in accordance with s. 240.268.

(4)  A copy of a mutual aid agreement must be filed with the Department of Law Enforcement within 14 days after it is signed.

(5)  In the event of a disaster or emergency such that a state of emergency is declared by the Governor pursuant to chapter 252, the requirement that a requested operational assistance agreement be a written agreement for rendering of assistance in a law enforcement emergency may be waived by the participating agencies for a period of up to 90 days from the declaration of the disaster.

(a)  When a law enforcement agency, a school board employing school safety officers, or a state university employing or appointing university police officers in accordance with s. 240.268 lends assistance pursuant to this subsection, all powers, privileges, and immunities listed in s. 23.127, except with regard to interstate mutual aid agreements, apply to the agency or entity, provided that the law enforcement, school board, or university employees rendering services are being requested and coordinated by the affected local law enforcement executive in charge of law enforcement operations.

(b)  A listing of such agencies or entities and the officers and employees of such agencies or entities rendering assistance pursuant to this subsection must be maintained by the agency or entity requesting such assistance and filed at the end of the 90-day period with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

History.--s. 2, ch. 81-142; s. 7, ch. 83-217; s. 1, ch. 83-334; s. 1, ch. 87-380; s. 3, ch. 92-165; s. 2, ch. 93-211; s. 1, ch. 96-276; s. 1, ch. 98-183; s. 3, ch. 2000-369.