Peace officers.

Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2015, a board of supervisors to enter into a contract with other public agencies to provide housing for inmates sentenced to county correctional facilities, as specified, upon agreement with the sheriff or director of the county department of corrections. Existing law also governs the scope and authority of peace officers. Existing law defines peace officers to include a correctional officer who is employed by a city, county, or city and county which operates a facility used to house state prison inmates or wards under a contract with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, who has the authority and responsibility for maintaining custody of specified state prison inmates or wards, and who performs tasks related to the operation of a detention facility used for the detention of persons who have violated parole or are awaiting parole back into the community or, upon court order, either for their own safekeeping or for the specific purpose of serving a sentence therein. This bill would provide that a peace officer also includes a correctional officer who is employed by a city, county, or city and county which operates a facility that provides housing for inmates sentenced to county correctional facilities, as specified, who has the authority and responsibility for maintaining custody of inmates sentenced to or housed in that facility and who performs tasks related to the operation of that facility. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.