This policy sets forth the State University of New York's (University) guidelines and requirements governing the appointment and removal of University police officers.

I. Administrative Policies

A.   The chancellor of the University and the president of each state-operated campus of the University may designate and appoint as a police officer for the University any employee of such institution having the title of chief, assistant, deputy chief, or inspector of University police and designated senior system administration officials in the professional service of the University; University police lieutenant, University police investigator, University police senior investigator, or University police officer in the classified civil service of the state.

B.   An employee designated and appointed as police officer shall have completed at the time of his or her designation and appointment, or shall complete within one year of the date of his or her designation and appointment as a police officer, a course of law enforcement training approved by the Municipal Police Training Council (MPTC) in consultation with the University. Failure to complete this training within the time required will result in loss of police officer status and loss of authority to exercise police officer powers.

C.   Once appointed, the officer shall have powers of police officers as set forth in the Criminal Procedure Law.

D.   The chancellor or president of each state-operated campus may remove police officer designation and appointment at any time, whereupon the employee shall cease to have and exercise police officer powers.

E.   Any appointed police officer shall cease to have and to exercise police officer powers upon separation from the University.

F.   Any appointment and designation or any removal shall be made in writing (see forms C2686-1098, Appointment/Removal of Police Officer, and DCJS 2214A, Certification of Employment) and shall be reported to the chancellor of the University or designee.

II. General Duties of Police Officers and Security Officers

A.    Police officers and security officers will provide for the protection of people and property and the preservation of order on the campus and other property of the campus at which they are appointed to serve, including any public highway which crosses or adjoins such property.

B.   In the course of and in the actual performance of their official duties, police officers have the power to execute arrest warrants and search warrants pursuant to Articles 120 and 690, respectively, of the NYS Criminal Procedure Law. Pursuant to the NYS Criminal Procedure Law §530.70, police officers may execute bench warrants, as defined in the NYS Criminal Procedure Law §1.20(30); may take into custody and transport, in accordance with the NYS Mental Hygiene Law, a person likely to be a danger to himself or herself or others; may conduct a temporary detention and emergency search for a weapon pursuant to the NYS Criminal Procedure Law §140.50; and may accept possession of lost property pursuant to of the NYS Personal Property Law §252.

C.   Pursuant to NYS Criminal Procedure Law §140.10 and the University’s guidelines, a police officer shall have statewide jurisdiction to make a warrantless arrest based upon reasonable cause for felonies and misdemeanors. For purpose of warrantless arrest for petty offenses pursuant to NYS Criminal Procedure Law §140.10, the geographical area of employment of the University police officer is the campus or other property of the University, including any public highway which crosses or abuts such property, to which the police officer is appointed. In the course of and in the actual performance of his or her official duties, and with respect to a petty offense, a police officer shall have the power to follow a person in continuous close pursuit outside the campus or other property of the University, including a public highway which crosses or abuts such property, and may arrest such person for a petty offense where the person is apprehended. A police officer shall have the power to issue and serve a simplified traffic information and appearance ticket in the form prescribed by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles pursuant to NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law §207 upon a person he/she has reasonable cause to believe has committed a traffic offense in the presence of the police officer within his or her geographical area of employment, and where applicable, such simplified traffic information shall be administered pursuant to the provisions of Article 2-A of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law.

D.   The appointment of University police officers shall not be deemed to supersede in any way the authority of other peace officers or police officers.

E.   An employee holding the title of campus public safety officer I is a security officer who possesses neither police officer nor peace officer powers, and who possesses only the powers possessed by a private citizen to enforce the law. Consequently, the duties of a campus public safety officer I should be limited in scope to avoid the risk of personal and institutional liability.

III. Appointment and Removals

A.    A candidate for designation and appointment as police officer having the title of University police senior investigator, University police investigator, University police officer II or University police officer I shall complete all civil service requirements for appointment. These requirements include an oral interview, background check including fingerprinting, physical agility test, and physical medical test including psychological testing. The procedures for undertaking these requirements will be prepared and distributed by the office of University police in conjunction with the Department of Civil Service.

B.    A campus that is considering an external candidate for designation and appointment as campus chief of police, assistant campus chief of police, deputy chief or inspector shall complete, in conjunction with the office of University police, a background investigation of the candidate, including a review of the candidate's training and education. In consultation with the appointing campus, the office of University police shall ascertain whether the candidate meets minimum requirements for police training in New York State.

C.   A person designated and appointed as a police officer shall take the following oath before entering on the duties of police officer, administered to such person by a duly authorized officer:



I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the state of New York, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of ‘_____________________' and police officer of the State University, according to the best of my ability."

D.   An appointing campus shall prepare in triplicate form C2686-1098, Appointment of Police Officer, for each appointment made. The campus shall send two copies of form C2686-1098 to:

      Office of University Police, State University of New York
State University Plaza
Albany, NY 12246

      The campus shall retain one copy in the campus file. The requirement to prepare form C2686-1098 is in addition to personnel transaction requirements of the New York State Department of Civil Service.

E.   A campus shall prepare in triplicate form C2686-1098, Removal of Police Officer, with respect to each employee who ceases to serve as police officer, including an employee who ceases to serve as police officer by reason of failure to complete timely and satisfactorily a course of law enforcement training approved by the Municipal Police Training Council. The campus shall send two copies of form C2686-1098 to:

      Office of University Police, State University of New York
State University Plaza
Albany, New York 12246

      The campus shall retain one copy in the campus file.

F.   The office of University police will compile information received from each campus and from University system administration with respect to persons designated and appointed as police officers and with respect to persons who cease to be police officers and shall report to the Police Officer Registry in the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, as required by NYS Executive Law §845, police officer appointments and removals on a semi-annual basis. The Criminal Justice Certification of Employment DCJS, 2214a must be completed in triplicate (except Box No. 2 to be filled in only by assistant vice chancellor) and submitted to the office of University police with original signatures.

There are no definitions relevant to this policy.

The following link to FindLaw's New York State Laws is provided for users' convenience; it is not the official site for the State of New York laws. 

NYS Mental Hygiene Law

NYS Criminal Procedure Law

§1.20(30) (Definition of Bench Warrants)

§120 (Arrest Warrants)

§140.10 (Warrantless Arrests)

§140.50 (Temporary Detention)

§530.70 (Bench Warrants)

§690 (Search Warrants)

NYS Executive Law §845 (Central State Registry of Police Officers)

NYS Personal Property Law §252 (Police Possession of Property)

NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law

Article 2A (Adjudication of Traffic Infractions)

§207 (Uniform Traffic Summons and Complaint)

In case of questions, readers are advised to refer to the New York State Legislature site for the menu of New York State Consolidated.

Police Officer Registry in the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services

The procedures to be followed in accordance with this policy are set forth in the policy statement.

C2686-1098 - Appointment/Removal of Police Officer

DCJS 2214A – Certification of Employment

State University Board of Trustees Resolution 98-239 adopted December 15, 1998.

State University Board of Trustees Resolution 98-239 adopted December 15, 1998, which rescinded Resolution 83-130, adopted July 26, 1983.

Amended on June 14, 2010 

Appendix A - University Police Manual Table of Contents

Appendix B - University Police Manual