Public v. Private College Peace Officers—What’s the Difference?
In California, private college public safety officers aren’t designated as peace officers, which some say hinder them in their responses to active shooters and sexual assault.
According to University of Southern California (USC) Department of Public Safety Chief John Thomas and Deputy Chief Dave Carlisle, there is a big difference between what peace officers at California’s public colleges and universities are legally able to do versus what public safety officers can do at private institutions of higher education.
They say these differences prevent private institutions from being able to provide the kind of protection that students, faculty and staff enjoy at University of California and California State campuses.
In this video, Thomas and Carlisle explain the challenges peace officers at California’s private institutions of higher education face, such as not being authorized to carry long guns so that they can more effectively respond to active shooters. They are also legally barred from having sexual assault victims make pre-contextual calls to suspects, which hampers campus public safety investigations and makes it more difficult for these departments to comply with Title IX and other California laws on campus sexual violence.
They also discuss AB 2361, which is legislation sponsored by California Assemblyman Miguel Santiago that is being considered by the California legislature to address these inequities.
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!