On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 14:03:20 -0500, Mitch Haley
wrote:

"Ken [NY]" wrote:
Campus police are not trained law enforcement professionals
who are trained in certified police academies, and do not have any
college education requirements. They are issued a gun, uniform and
told to go out there and keep the peace. Most are nothing more than
"square badgers" like K-Mart hires. Real police would be too
expensive.

That may vary as to location. For instance, starting pay at Michigan
State University is approx $35k, more than some small town chiefs
make around here. They are all state academy grads, and many have
bachelors degrees. Most are far more professional than local sheriff's
deputies. OTOH, I know of at least one MSU officer who was a total
idiot (and perjurer).

In Massachusetts, the armed campus police at the various schools in
the area go through the state police training and are authorized as
"special police officers".

From the UMass/Boston campus police website:

"All police officers are sworn under chapter 75, section 32a of the
general laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. All police officers
have the same law enforcement authority as state or municipal police
officers and are trained at state certified municipal police training
academies".

Essentially the same training as town and city police officers
receive, with full jurisdiction on their campuses, and police powers
in areas of off-campus apartments.

Most schools have a second type of security officer, not armed, more
like what you describe.

This is true for various other campuses in the area.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom