§ 412. 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 this article 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 set forth in
section 2.20 of the criminal procedure law whose duty, 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
magistrate having jurisdiction of such offense, to be dealt with
according to law. The appointment of police officers in pursuance of
this section shall not be deemed to supersede in any way 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
quarter horse 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.