[HISTORY: Adopted by the County Commissioners of Caroline County as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 8-4-2020 by Bill No. 2020-1[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This bill also repealed former Article I, Regional Law Enforcement Compact, adopted 2-10-2015 by Bill No. 2015-1.
A. 
The County Commissioners are authorized by Maryland law, through the Criminal Procedure Article, §§ 2-102 and 2-105, of the Annotated Code of Maryland, to:
(1) 
Provide for the use of interagency police services in the form of a regional law enforcement compact, which may also be referred to as a "mutual aid agreement" in the regular routine for legislative enactment.
(2) 
Determine the circumstances under which the Sheriff's police officers and other officers, agents, and employees of the County, together with all necessary equipment, may lawfully go or be sent beyond the boundaries of the County to any place within or outside the state.
B. 
The Sheriff's officers and other officers, agents, and employees coming from one county to another or from one municipal corporation to another under a mutual aid agreement herein authorized may enforce the laws to the same extent as authorized law enforcement officers of Caroline County or the town.
C. 
Acts done by the Sheriff or other officers, agents, or employees of the County under the authority of a mutual aid agreement, and the expenditures made by the County, are considered to be for a public and governmental purpose.
D. 
The County Commissioners have determined that mutual aid agreements are in the interest of the general health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the County. Because such agreements facilitate vital sharing of public safety resources and set forth the terms for assistance, the County Commissioners deem that any legislation to authorize a mutual aid agreement shall be considered emergency legislation.
A. 
The County, acting through its Sheriff's officers or other officers, agents, or employees for a public or governmental purpose beyond its boundaries under a mutual aid agreement authorized by this Article, or other lawful authority, has the same immunities from liability that the County and/or municipal corporation has when acting through its Sheriff's officers, police departments or other officers, agents, or employees for a public or governmental purpose within its boundaries.
B. 
Parties to any mutual aid agreement authorized by this Article shall have the same immunity from liability described in § 5-612 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, and exemptions from laws, ordinances, and regulations, and the same pension, relief, disability, workers' compensation, and other benefits as those persons have while performing their duties within the boundaries of the county or municipal corporation.
C. 
Parties to any mutual aid agreement authorized under this Article waive any and all claims against all other parties to any such agreement and that may arise out of their activities outside their respective jurisdictions under such agreements.
D. 
To the extent permitted by law, the parties to any mutual aid agreement authorized under this Article indemnify and hold harmless the other parties to any such agreement from all claims by third parties for property damage or personal injury and that may arise out of the activities of the other parties to the agreement outside their respective jurisdictions under the agreement.
The provisions of any mutual aid agreement authorized under this Article are declared to be severable. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of such agreements are for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the same shall be deemed separate, distinct, and independent from, and such holding shall not affect the validity of, the remaining portions of such agreements, it being the intent of the County that any agreement authorized under this Article shall stand, notwithstanding the invalidity of any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion hereof.
A. 
The Regional Law Enforcement Compact Among and Between the Town of Denton, the Town of Ridgely, the Town of Federalsburg, the Town of Greensboro, the Town of Preston, and the Caroline County Sheriff's Office of Caroline County, Maryland is attached hereto,[1]incorporated herein, and is hereby adopted as presented and as may be modified time to time pursuant to the annual review required by Paragraph 13 of the agreement.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Regional Law Enforcement Compact is on file in the County offices.
B. 
The Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement Among and Between the County Commissioners of Caroline County, Maryland, the Sheriff of Caroline County, Maryland, and the Mayor and Town Council of Easton, on behalf of the Easton Police Department is attached hereto,[2] incorporated herein, and is hereby adopted as presented and as may be modified time to time pursuant to the annual review required by Section 4(i) of the Agreement.
[Added 8-4-2020 by Bill No. 2020-2]
[2]
Editor's Note: The Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement is on file in the County Offices.
C. 
The Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement among and between the County Commissioners of Caroline County, Maryland, the Sheriff of Caroline County, Maryland; the County Executive, County Council, and Sheriff of Wicomico County; the County Commissioners and Sheriff of Somerset County; the County Commissioners and Sheriff of Worcester County; the County Council and Sheriff of Dorchester County; the County Council and Sheriff of Talbot County; the County Commissioners and Sheriff of Queen Anne's County; the County Commissioners and Sheriff of Kent County; and the County Executive, County Council, and Sheriff of Cecil County is attached hereto, incorporated herein, and is hereby adopted as presented.[3]
[Added 8-17-2021 by Bill No. 2021-1]
[3]
Editor's Note: The Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement is on file in the County offices.