§ 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 § 253 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 § 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 § 65.10 of the penal law shall be deemed to be employees.