@breezinup posted:And as for railroad police, the ones I've seen carry sidearms. Arrest authority they have. We have a large hospital nearby, and they have a small in-house police department (the city has police jurisdiction as well). Those hospital police are armed and have full arrest authority. In all areas with which I'm familiar, game wardens are also equivalent of sheriffs, armed and with full arrest authority. In some juristictions, they have greater powers, in fact, because they have power to seize property as well.
Good points. People would do well to understand what authority different agents and agencies have. Police in Texas are police regardless. The are responsible to their specific agency bit are licensed by the state as Peace Officers. Some interesting points is that university police in Texas hold county wide jurisdiction in any and every county within which the university owns, leases, or rents property. Game Warden's in Texas have a much higher level of arrest authority along with search and seizure. Railroad Police in Texas have similar authority and range as university police above. Regardless of called police in Texas they are police as Texas prohibits anyone not licensed as a Peace Officer to identify as police or law enforcement.
