Title 17. Education

Chapter 5. State Colleges and Universities

Part III. Miscellaneous Provisions

17:1805       Authority of university or college police officer

A. (1) Those persons who are university or college police officers responsible for maintaining general order and exercising police power on the campus of a state-supported or a private college or university shall be designated as university or college police officers. 

(2) Each such person named as a police officer by the president of the college or university shall be commissioned as a university or college police officer by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or as provided in Subsection E of this Section. Such commission shall remain in force and in effect at the pleasure of the employing college or university. 

(3) While in or out of uniform, these police officers shall have the right to carry concealed weapons and to exercise the power of arrest when discharging their duties on their respective campuses and on all streets, roads, and rights-of-way to the extent they are within or contiguous to the perimeter of such campuses. In the discharge of their duties on campus and while in hot pursuit on or off the campus, each university or college police officer may exercise the power of arrest. For purposes of R.S. 14:40.8, the right of university or college police officers to carry a concealed weapon and to exercise the power of arrest when discharging their duties shall extend to alleged acts of hazing committed by members of an organization that is organized and operating at the university or college for which the police officer is commissioned regardless of the location where the alleged acts occurred. 

(4) Each such police officer shall execute a bond in the amount of ten thousand dollars in favor of the state for the faithful performance of his duties. The premium on the bond shall be paid by the employing institution. 

B. Any person arrested by a college or university police officer, in the exercise of the power granted pursuant to Paragraph (A)(3) of this Section, shall be immediately transferred by such officer to the custody of the sheriff or city police wherein the arrest occurs. 

C. On and after January 1, 1975, no person shall be commissioned as a college or university police officer, unless prior to such commissioning the person has, as a minimum requirement, completed and graduated from the six-weeks program of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College or possesses equivalent training or experience. 

D. Upon authorization by the chief administrative officer of the educational institution, a college or university police officer shall have authority to discharge his duties off campus as follows: 

(1) If engaging in intelligence gathering activity. 

(2) When investigating a crime committed on campus or when investigating the crime of criminal hazing committed off campus by members of an organization that is organized and operating at the college or university for which the police officer is commissioned. 

(3) When transporting prisoners in furtherance of duties as set forth in this Section. 

(4) When transporting money, securities, or other valuables on behalf of the college or university. 

(5) While providing security or protective services for visiting dignitaries to the college or university both on and off the campus. 

(6) If specifically requested by the chief law enforcement officer of the parish or city. 

E. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Section to the contrary, any state supported or private college or university situated within the territorial limits of the city of New Orleans may, at the option of the college or university, have its campus police officers commissioned as university or college police officers by the city’s police department, rather than the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, upon complying with the requirements and regulations as may be prescribed by the city’s police department for the commissioning of special officers. Such commissions issued by the city’s police department shall confer upon such campus police officers all rights and privileges as are enumerated in this Section with respect to officers commissioned through and by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections; provided, however, that such officers shall not be entitled to supplemental pay for municipal police officers. 

F. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, on July 1, 1991, and thereafter, no person shall be commissioned as a university or college police officer by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or as otherwise provided in Subsection E of this Section until there has been a determination made by the commissioning authority that the particular public or private college or university naming the police officer is in compliance with the provisions of R.S. 17:3351(C), or, in the case of a private college or university, is in compliance with substantially similar requirements adopted by the particular institution, relative to reporting certain statistics on reported criminal offenses, adopting certain written security policies and procedures, and publishing certain such policies and procedures. 

G. Each person who is employed as a full-time college or university police officer may carry a concealed handgun, whether in uniform or not and whether on or off duty, provided the person meets the requirements for college and university police officers set forth in this Section and is certified by the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training. 

H. On and after January 1, 2016, each person who is employed as a full-time college or university police officer shall complete a sexual assault awareness training program as provided by the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training pursuant to R.S. 40:2405.8. 

Added by Acts 1968, No. 529, §§ 1, 2. Amended by Acts 1974, No. 269, § 1; Acts 1978, No. 754, § 1; Acts 1979, No. 594, § 1; Acts 1981, No. 874, § 1; Acts 1984, No. 478, § 1; Acts 1990, No. 916, § 1, eff. July 25, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 289, § 8; Acts 1995, No. 1192, § 1; Acts 1997, No. 508, § 2; Acts 2011, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 41, § 1; Acts 2015, No. 152, § 1, eff. June 23, 2015; Acts 2019, No. 382, § 2.