Supervision and assistance of persons on parole; duties of employee assigned; employee not considered law enforcement officer

Sec. 7. (a) An employee of the department assigned to supervise and assist parolees may: (1) execute warrants issued by the parole board; (2) serve orders, subpoenas, and notices issued by the parole board; (3) conduct investigations necessary to the performance of the employee's duties; (4) visit and confer with any person under the employee's supervision, even when that person is in custody; (5) act as a probation officer if requested by the appropriate court and if that request is approved by the department; (6) search a parolee's person or property if the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the parolee is violating or is in imminent danger of violating a condition to remaining on parole; (7) arrest a parolee without a warrant if the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the parolee has violated or is about to violate a condition to remaining on parole and that an emergency situation exists, so that awaiting action by the parole board under section 8 of this chapter would create an undue risk to the public or to the parolee; and (8) exercise any other power reasonably necessary in discharging the employee's duties and powers. (b) An employee of the department assigned to supervise and assist parolees is not considered a law enforcement officer under IC 5-2-1 or IC 35-31.5-2-185.