N.Y. Transportation Corporations Law § 30

§ 30. Special policemen of corporation operating signal systems. The\npolice department or board of police of any city may, in addition to the\npolice force now authorized by law, appoint a number of persons, not\nexceeding two hundred, who may be designated by any corporation\noperating a system of signaling by telegraph to a central office for\npolice assistance, to act as special patrolmen in connection with such\ntelegraph system. And the persons so appointed shall, in and about such\nservice, have all the powers possessed by the members of the regular\nforce, except as they may be limited by and subject to the supervision\nand control of the police department or board of police of such city.\nNo person shall be appointed such special policeman who does not possess\nthe qualifications required by such police department or board of police\nfor such special service; and persons so appointed shall be subject, in\ncase of emergency, to do duty as part of the regular police force of the\ncity. The police department or board of police shall have power to\nrevoke any such appointment at any time, and every person appointed\nshall wear a badge and uniform, to be furnished by such corporation and\napproved by the police department or board of police; such uniform shall\nbe designated at the time of the first appointment and shall be the\npermanent uniform to be worn by such special police, and the pay of such\nspecial patrolmen and all expenses connected with their service shall be\nwholly paid by such corporation, and no expense or liability shall at\nany time be incurred or paid by the police department or board of police\nof any city, for or by reason of the services of such persons so\nappointed.\n