§ 52. Liability insurance for officers and employees. Each city,
county, fire district, school district, town, village, town improvement
district governed by a separate board of commissioners and each public
library as defined in section two hundred fifty-three of the education
law, may purchase liability insurance with such limits as it may deem
reasonable for the purpose of protecting its officers and employees
against liability for claims arising from their acts while exercising or
performing or in good faith purporting to exercise or perform their
powers and duties. For the purposes of this section, persons performing
services pursuant to subdivision five of section 170.55 of the criminal
procedure law, section seven hundred fifty-eight-a or section 353.6 of
the family court act or paragraph (h) of subdivision two of section
65.10 of the penal law shall be deemed to be employees.