Private Fla. University Hopes to Create a Sworn Police Force

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) has revamped its security team in response to a violent incident that occurred on the campus in 2009. The university’s private security guards have been replaced by uniformed officers working under the Office of Safety and Security. University officials hope to create a sworn police force.

The university hopes to convert some of these officers to sworn police officers, 13 News reports. However, City Manager Jim Chrisholm believes the change could create undue liability for the Daytona Beach Police Department. Under state law, B-CU, as a private institution, cannot have a sworn police force. 

B-CU’s Director of Campus Safety and Security, Mel Williams, believes that in time, the city will reconsider. The university has had frequent problems with outsiders coming onto campus; giving campus officers the power to arrest these people would improve campus safety, Williams claims.

Currently, the University of Miami is the only private university in the state that has its own sworn police force. Its officers fall under the Coral Gables Police Department.

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