(A) Campus police officers are peace officers. While in the performance of the duties of their employment, they have all the powers of municipal and county police officers to make arrests for both felonies and misdemeanors and possess all of the common law and statutory powers, privileges, and immunities of police officers. Campus police officers shall:
(1) preserve the peace, maintain order, and prevent unlawful use of force or violence or other unlawful conduct on the campuses of their respective institutions and protect all persons and property located there from injury, harm, and damage;
(2) enforce and assist the officials of their respective institutions in the enforcement of the laws of the State and county and municipal ordinances, and the lawful regulations of the institution, and assist and cooperate with other law enforcement agencies and officers. Campus police officers shall exercise powers granted in this chapter only upon the real property owned by their respective institutions as defined in item (1) of Section 59-116-10.
(B) Campus police officers may arrest persons outside the territory described in subsection (A) when the person arrested has committed a criminal offense within that territory, and the arrest is made during the person's immediate and continuous flight from that territory.
(C) Safety and security departments created and operated by the boards of trustees of institutions under this chapter for the purposes of this chapter are campus police departments and the sworn campus police officers of the department are campus police officers.
(D) Campus police officers may designate and operate emergency vehicles and patrol cars in the manner provided by law for municipal and county law enforcement officers. Such a vehicle must bear distinctive and conspicuous lettering which reads "campus police" on the sides and rear of the vehicle.
The provisions of this chapter may not be construed as a diminution or modification of the authority or responsibility of a municipal police department, sheriff, constable, or other peace officer either on the property of an institution or otherwise.
HISTORY: 1989 Act No. 131, Section 1.