Do campus police officers have arrest authority?
Yes. Campus police officers have arrest authority on property owned, operated, leased or managed by the university or college at which they are commissioned.
How do I become a campus police officer?
Applications should be made to one of the colleges or universities in the District of Columbia. Once hired, an application is made to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Security Officer Management Branch for a Campus Special Police Commission.
What are the types of training required of campus special police officers?
To become a Commissioned campus special police officer persons must have completed instruction at a certified police academy or attended the Consortium of Universities Campus Public Safety Institute.
Do campus police officers carry weapons?
Each university or college makes their own decision on how to arm their police officers.
What are the primary responsibilities of a campus police officer?
Campus special police officers carry out the duties similar to those of a Metropolitan Police Officer. Officers patrol on foot, bike and patrol car, respond to emergency calls and take reports. Campus special police officers also do a great deal of community policing activities such as personal escorts, community presentations, and crime prevention training, among many other related activities to support the university or college community.
What calls for service are common for campus police officers?
Calls for service include theft, disorderly conduct, suspicious persons, hate crimes, fire and intruder alarms. These represent many of the same calls that MPD officers respond to in the District.
What kind of police presence is there on the typical campus?
Each university and college normally have a 24-hour, 7-days per week presence on their campuses to include police officers and a public safety answering point for the community to contact for emergencies and information. Staffing varies by each campus.
What is the jurisdiction of campus police officers?
Generally, the jurisdiction is on property owned, operated, leased, or managed by the university or college at which they are commissioned.
What is the working relationship between campus special police officers and the Metropolitan Police Department?
Campus police within the District have an excellent working relationship with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Campus police officers handle large volumes of calls for service that would otherwise be handled primarily by MPD.