Section 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.