[ Text of section effective until July 13, 2021. Repealed by 2011, 194, Sec. 39. See 2011, 194, Sec. 112 as amended by 2014, 165, Sec. 192; 2016, 176, Sec. 12B; 2017, 56, Sec. 14; 2018, 159, Sec. 14; 2019, 47, Sec. 14; 2020, 1, Sec. 14; and 2020, 106, Sec. 14.]
Section 8. The commission shall apply to the department of public safety for the assignment of a complement of police officers to the commission on a regular basis and said department shall assign such complement to the commission. The commission shall assign such police officers to guard and protect the lives and safety of the public, property and the animals to be raced at any such meeting, and to perform any such other duties which may be required by said commission in order to maintain fair and honest pari-mutuel racing at any such meeting. The police officers so assigned shall, except in the case of an emergency, and while on duty at any such racing meeting, be subject to the operational authority of the commission; provided, however, that such assignment or reassignment shall not in any way impair any rights to which any officer may be entitled.
The commission shall from funds available pay to the department of public safety the cost of the salaries of the police officers so assigned from funds appropriated to the commission.
All assignments and reassignments to the commission, except as the commissioner of public safety shall determine that an emergency exists or is threatened, shall be subject to the approval of the racing commissioner. Nothing herein shall prevent licensees from applying to the state police if they have jurisdiction in the area where a racing meeting is to be held, or to the police department of a city or town wherein a racing meeting is to be held, in order that such police agency may furnish a police detail for safety or traffic purposes at any racing meeting authorized by this chapter. The total cost for any such police detail shall be a sum equal to the salaries of the police officers comprising such detail, plus a sum to cover the administrative expenses incurred by the department of each such police officer.
The commission shall employ as many veterinarians, chemists and laboratory technicians as it deems necessary to insure the legitimate performance of the animals to be raced at any racing meetings authorized by this chapter and to protect the health of such animals and the department of public safety shall provide that such veterinarians, chemists and laboratory technicians shall have access to the department's laboratory facilities.