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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone |
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House Judiciary Committee reviews campus police bills
HARRISBURG, Sept. 1 – State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, D-Berks, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the committee today held a public hearing at Immaculata University to review legislation that would increase safety on college campuses by expanding the powers of campus police.
Under the bills, sponsored by Rep. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne, state colleges and universities, community colleges and private colleges and universities would have the opportunity to expand the duties of campus police. House Bill 2592 would give campus police the same law enforcement and arrest powers granted to municipal police and House Bill 2593 would allow private colleges or universities to hire campus police officers.
Both bills would: require each officer to be certified by the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission; limit jurisdiction to the grounds and buildings of the schools; and allow campus and municipal police to enter into reciprocal agreements to provide law enforcement during emergencies.
"These bills would enhance the safety on college campuses and in surrounding communities," Yudichak said. "Currently, campus police can detain a suspect, but must wait for a municipal or state police officer to arrive to make an arrest. By granting arrest powers to campus police, suspects would be taken into custody more quickly, and municipal and state police would be allowed to focus their efforts on protecting the surrounding community."
Testifiers at today's hearing included: Don Bergmann, chief of police, University of Scranton; Jason Friedberg, chief, Bucknell University Department of Security; and Dennis Walters, lieutenant, Department of Public Safety/Campus Police, Franklin and Marshall College. Sister R. Patricia Fadden, president of Immaculata University, offered brief introductory comments and welcomed the committee to the campus.
"The purpose of the hearing was to bring together law enforcement from a variety of colleges and universities to learn what gaps exist in ensuring the safety of students on their campuses," Caltagirone said.
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