§261-17 Enforcement of laws. (a) The director of transportation, officers, and employees of the department of transportation, and every state and county officer charged with the enforcement of state laws and ordinances, shall enforce and assist in the enforcement of this chapter and of all rules and orders issued pursuant thereto and of all other laws of the State; and in that connection each of the persons may inspect and examine at reasonable hours any premises, and the buildings and other structures thereon, where airports, air navigation facilities, or other aeronautical activities are operated or conducted. In aid of the enforcement of this chapter, the rules and orders issued pursuant thereto, and all other laws of the State, the powers of police officers are conferred upon the director, and such of the officers, employees, agents, and representatives of the department as may be designated by the director to exercise such powers, including the power to serve and execute warrants and arrest offenders, and the power to serve notices and orders. For the purposes of this subsection the term "agents and representatives" includes persons performing services at airports under contract with the department.

(b) No person shall provide or be hired to provide armed security services at airports within the State without first submitting statements signed under penalty of false swearing by the person indicating whether the person has ever been convicted of a crime which, by law, would preclude the person from carrying or using a firearm in the course of the person's employment, including a felony conviction in the State or elsewhere, and providing consent to the department to have a criminal history record check conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain criminal history record information. The person shall also be fingerprinted for the purpose of a Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history record check. The Hawaii criminal justice data center may also assess the existing providers of armed security services at airports within the State, or their employees or applicants for employment, or any applicant for employment to provide armed security services at airports within the State, a reasonable fee for each criminal history record check performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(c) The department may, in the name of the State, enforce this chapter and the rules and orders issued pursuant thereto by injunction or other legal process in the courts of the State. [L 1947, c 32, pt of §1; RL 1955, §15-23; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §26; HRS §261-17; am L 1973, c 20, §1; am L 1979, c 179, §1; am L 1996, c 191, §2]