Chap. 353.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3944 of the Code of Vir-
ginia, relating to the appointment of police agents by public service cor-
porations and making conductors and operators of motor buses and station
agents, conservators of the peace. [H B 240}

Approved March 24, 1930

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
thirty-nine hundred and forty-four of the Code of Virginia, be amend-
ed and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 3944. The president or any other executive officer of any
railroad company incorporated by this State may, with the approbation
of the circuit court of any county or the corporation court of any city,
through which the road passes or has its chief office, appoint one or
more police agents, who shall have authority in all cases in which the
rights of such railroad company are involved, to exercise within the
State all powers which can be lawfully exercised by any constable or
police officer for the preservation of the peace, the arrest of offenders
and disorderly persons, and for the enforcement of laws against crimes,
and such president or other executive officer may remove any suck
agent at his pleasure; but, any court giving such consent may at any
time revoke it. Conductors of railroad trains, motormen or the op-
erators of motor buses operated as a common carrier of persons, and
station and depot agents, shall be conservators of the peace, and they
and each of them shall have the same power to make arrests that jus-
tices have, except that the conductors shall only have such power on
board their respective trains and on the property of their company
while on duty and the agents at their respective places of business, and
the said conductors, motormen or the opertaors of motor buses and
agents may cause any person so arrested by them to be detained, and
delivered to the proper authorities for trial as soon as practicable.