§ 312. Special police officers. 1. For the purpose of preserving order
and preventing offenses against the laws prohibiting gambling, the
officers or directors of any corporation or association created under or
subject to the provisions of sections two hundred twenty-two through
seven hundred five of this chapter are hereby authorized to appoint from
time to time, special police officers, and the same to remove at
pleasure, who, when appointed, shall be peace officers with the same
powers within and about such grounds as are vested in peace officers as
set forth in section 2.20 of the criminal procedure law, whose duty and
powers, when appointed, shall be to preserve order within and around the
grounds and racetracks of said corporation or association, to protect
the property within said grounds, to eject or arrest all persons who
shall be improperly within the grounds of such corporation or
association or who shall be guilty of disorderly conduct, or who shall
neglect or refuse to pay the fees or to observe the rules prescribed by
said corporation or association; and it shall be the further duty of
said police officers, when appointed to prevent all violations of law
with reference to pool-selling, bookmaking, and other gambling, and to
arrest any and all persons violating such provisions, and to convey such
person or persons so arrested, with a statement of the cause of such
arrest, before a court having jurisdiction of such offense, to be dealt
with according to the law. The appointment of police officers in
pursuance of this section shall not be deemed to supersede in any wise
on the grounds and racetrack of such corporation or association the
authority of peace officers or police officers of the jurisdiction
within which such grounds and racetrack are located.

2. Any appointment of a special police officer under this section
shall be made only with the approval of the commission. Application for
such approval shall be in such form as may be prescribed by the
commission and shall contain such other information or material or
evidence as the commission shall require. In acting on an application
for such approval the commission shall consider the background,
experience, integrity, and competence of the candidate for appointment,
the public interest, convenience or necessity and the interests of
harness racing generally. The commission in its discretion may set the
term of any such appointment, terminate any existing appointment at any
time and prescribe conditions and rules for the conduct of such office.