The Vermont Statutes Online
The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 24 : Municipal and County Government
Chapter 055 : Police
(Cite as: 24 V.S.A. § 1937)-
§ 1937. Reciprocal assistance agreements
(a) A reciprocal assistance agreement may be entered into between:
(1) the chief law enforcement officer of a municipality in a county of this State adjacent to a neighboring state, or the sheriff of such a county; and
(2) the chief law enforcement officer of a municipality in an adjacent county of the neighboring state, or the sheriff of such a county.
(b) The authority of a duly authorized and certified municipal law enforcement officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff in a neighboring state shall extend to a municipality or county in this State if:
(1) reciprocal statutory authority has been granted by the neighboring state to the law enforcement officers, sheriffs, or deputy sheriffs of this State;
(2) a reciprocal assistance agreement under subsection (a) of this section has been executed which sets forth the terms and conditions under which assistance may be requested or rendered;
(3) the agreement is in writing; and
(4) in the case of an agreement by a municipality in this State, the agreement of the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality is approved by its legislative body.
(c) The reciprocal assistance agreement shall constitute authorization for every request for assistance, and for any assistance rendered, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the written agreement, regardless of whether the officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff is named in the agreement.
(d) In either emergency or nonemergency circumstances, the ranking on-duty law enforcement officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff may make an oral request for assistance to the ranking on-duty law enforcement officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff in the responding jurisdiction, subject to the terms and conditions of the reciprocal assistance agreement. The agreement shall state the authority of the responding police officer in such circumstances.
(e) A reciprocal assistance agreement shall remain in full force and effect until terminated by mutual consent of the parties to the agreement, or until ten days after one of the parties has received notification from the other party of intention to terminate the agreement. (Added 1989, No. 92.)
