In the U.S. state of Oregon, enforcement of local, state, and federal law on public university property is delegated to a number of security, public safety, and police agencies.
Public universities in Oregon may form campus police departments if they so choose. As of September 2011, only the University of Oregon has a University of Oregon Department of Public Safety with approximately 90 staff. Other universities employ non-sworn public safety officers, security officers, or contract with other police agencies to provide services.[1]
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Senate Bill 405, passed into law on June 23, 2011, states: "The State Board of Higher Education may, at the request of a public university under its control, authorize the university to establish a police department and commission one or more employees as police officers. A police department established under this section has all of the authority and immunity of a municipal police department of this state."[2]
Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 352.385 provides for the commissioning and training of Special Campus Security Officers at Oregon's public universities. These officers are given probable cause arrest authority and "Stop and Frisk" authority under Oregon law. However, they are restricted from carrying firearms and are excluded from the definition of "police" or "peace officer" for the purposes of most Oregon statutes.[3]
ORS 353.050 provides for similar commissioning of officers at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), however, the 2009 legislature granted additional authorities to these officers. OHSU's officers are statutorily known as "University Police" and are considered police for the purposes of most Oregon statutes. These officers are still restricted from carrying firearms in the performance of their duties.[4]
All of Oregon's campus agencies have informal mutual aid agreements with local police agencies.
Several campuses have chosen to formally contract police services to supplement the work of their Public Safety Officers. Oregon State University has a contracted detachment of the Oregon State Police on campus, while the University of Oregon has established an independent campus police department.[5]