In addition to the powers provided by the Second Class Township Code
under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and by 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 6324(3),
police officers of the Township of Falls shall, upon view, have the right
of arrest without warrant upon probable cause when there is ongoing conduct
that imperils the personal security of any person or endangers public or private
property for the following offenses:
A. 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 5503, Disorderly conduct.
B. 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 5505, Public drunkenness.
C. 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 5507, Obstructing highways.
D. 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 6308, Underage drinking.
When a defendant has been arrested without a warrant for a summary offense,
police officers shall comply with the following requirements:
A. When a defendant has been arrested without a warrant, the defendant shall be either released from custody pursuant to Subsection
B or taken before the proper issuing authority under Subsection
C.
B. When a defendant has been arrested without a warrant,
the arresting officer may, when the officer deems it appropriate, promptly
release the defendant from custody when the following conditions have been
met:
(1) The defendant is a resident of the Commonwealth;
(2) The defendant poses no threat of immediate physical harm
to any other person or to himself or herself;
(3) The arresting officer has reasonable grounds to believe
that the defendant will appear as required; and
(4) The defendant does not demand to be taken before an issuing
authority. A citation shall be issued to the defendant at the time of release,
and thereafter the case shall proceed in accordance with Pa. Rules of Criminal
Procedure 55-59 as if the proceedings had been instituted by issuing a citation
to the defendant.
C. When the defendant has not been released from custody under Subsection
B, the defendant shall be taken without unnecessary delay before the issuing authority where a citation shall be filed against the defendant. The defendant shall be given an immediate trial unless:
(1) The Commonwealth is not ready to proceed or the defendant
requests a postponement, and, in either event, the defendant shall be given
the opportunity to deposit collateral for appearance on the new date and hour
fixed for trial; or
(2) The defendant's criminal record must be ascertained before
trial as specifically required by statute for purposes of grading the offense
charged, in which event the defendant shall be given the opportunity to deposit
collateral for appearance on the new date and hour fixed for trial, which
shall be after the issuing authority's receipt of the required information.