Section 7.25. Safety

(a) The commissioner and the directors of in-patient facilities in the
  office  of mental health may designate safety officers to act as special
  policemen whose duty it  shall  be,  under  orders  of  the  appropriate
  officer,  to  preserve peace and good order in facilities of such office
  and to fully protect the grounds, buildings, and patients.  Such  safety
  officers  acting  as  special  policemen shall possess all the powers of
  peace officers, as set forth in section 2.20 of the  criminal  procedure
  law,  while  performing  duties in or arising out of the course of their
  employment. Such peace officers when acting pursuant  to  their  special
  duties  may  issue  and  serve  a  simplified  traffic  information  and
  appearance ticket, in the form prescribed by the commissioner  of  motor
  vehicles  pursuant  to  section  two  hundred  seven  of the vehicle and
  traffic law, upon a person when he has reasonable cause to believe  that
  such  person  has  committed  a  traffic infraction in his presence, and
  shall have the power to issue and serve an appearance ticket as  defined
  in  section  150.10  of  the criminal procedure law for an offense other
  than a felony in lieu of an arrest.
    (b) The commissioner shall cause to be  developed  and  implemented  a
  comprehensive  training program for such safety officers. Such a program
  is to be provided to persons hired as safety officers within five  weeks
  after  such  hiring,  and  shall  include,  but  need  not be limited to
  training in the following areas:
    1. fire prevention;
    2. basic criminal law;
    3. first aid and cardio pulmonary resuscitation;
    4. conducting investigations;
    5. rudimentary police work, including  issuance  of  summons,  traffic
  control, and lawful use of force;
    6. proper use of restraint; and
    7. any other training deemed necessary to augment such person's skills
  in providing necessary safety and security services for the facility.