Campus Police May Not Actually Be Officers
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - There are plenty of people who wear uniforms and carry guns (and I don't mean just NFL players). I mean as part of their jobs. SO it's sometimes not so easy to tell if someone is actually a police officer.
The most recent incident involving the brutal arrest of an African American UVA student, bloodied during an arrest over an allegedly fake ID makes many wonder - beyond this specific situation - are campus police officers even real police officers with the right to make arrests? The answer is: sometimes.
It depends on whether the college is public or private, and then it depends on the state law in which the college is located.
Most state schools are allowed and do hire sworn police officers. Private colleges hire their own campus security guards who have the right to keep the peace, but turn over alleged criminals to the local police department.
Of course the best lesson to college students is: it shouldn't matter. Get back to studying and avoid trouble, son.
And for officers, public, private, or otherwise, take a deep breath and remember that whether you're a police officer or a parent, these are somebody's kids. Treat them that way.
