Commissioned Peace Officers, Jurisdiction of

 

 

Purpose:

 

Policy clarifying exceptions to the policy that the jurisdiction of U. T. System commissioned peace officers be confined within the boundaries of one of the campuses or within the boundaries of System property

 

Date Approved:

 

February 14, 2002 (Editorially amended September 2003)

 

Background:

 

In order to comply with House Bill 391 passed by the 70th Legislature, Regular Session, 1987, the Board adopted a policy on August 13, 1987 regarding the jurisdiction of commissioned peace officers employed by The University of Texas System.  This policy was amended by the Board on June 9, 1994 to redefine jurisdiction and to adjust or clarify the responsibilities of officials delegated to handle police jurisdictional matters.  The policy was further amended on February 14, 2002 to read as follows:

 

 

POLICY ON JURISDICTION OF POLICE OFFICERS

 

 

(a)     Commissioned peace officers employed by The University of Texas System or any of its component institutions shall confine their activities related to the performance of the duties of peace officers to property owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the U. T. System or one of the component institutions of the U. T. System (restricted pri­mary jurisdiction), with the following exceptions:

 

(1)     The Chief of Police of each component institution within the U. T. System and the Director of Police for the U. T. System may, on a case by case basis, authorize commissioned peace officers employed by or temporarily assigned to a component institution to function outside of the "restricted primary juris­diction" established by this Policy as peace officers on Uni­versity business or in conjunction with a University sponsored event so long as the peace officers remain within their area of primary jurisdiction (county) as established by Texas Education Code Section 51.203.  For the purposes of this Policy, the term "restricted primary jurisdiction" is inter­preted to mean all land, streets, buildings, and facilities or other property owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the U. T. System or one of the component institutions.  It is provided, however, that the provi­sions of the Hot Pursuit Policy (U. T. System Police Policy and Procedure Manual No. II-86-14, as amended) promulgated by the Director of Police for the U. T. System are not affected by this Policy. 

 

(2)     The Director of Police for the U. T. System may authorize com­missioned peace officers of the U. T. System to function as peace officers outside their primary jurisdiction (county) to assist another law enforcement agency in Texas, or to otherwise per­form duties as a peace officer on official University business.

 

(3)     Each component institution's Chief of Police, if summoned by another law enforcement agency, is authorized to send com­missioned peace officers to assist that agency as long as the officers remain within their primary jurisdiction (county).

 

(b)     The president of each component institution within the U. T. System shall be responsible for providing to the Director of Police for the U. T. System, for review and approval as to police jurisdiction, a map(s) showing all property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by a com­ponent institution or U. T. System which is under the police control of a component institution.  The Director of Police must approve, in writing, any extension of police jurisdiction that would obligate the University police to patrol property not owned or controlled by the University, including any city streets that border or cross the campus or any privately-owned buildings or structures located on the campus as reflected on the map submitted by the component institution.  It is the continuing responsibility of the president or other administrative official to whom this responsibility is delegated to ensure that the maps on file with the Office of the Director of Police are kept current.  The maps shall also denote thereon all land areas, streets, buildings, and facil­ities located contiguous to property owned, leased, or otherwise con­trolled by the component institution that are not owned, leased, or controlled by the component institution or the U. T. System.  The Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs or his or her delegate shall be responsible for fulfilling the requirements of this section for property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the U. T. System Administration.

 

(c)     The Director of Police for the U. T. System shall furnish copies of this Policy and the approved maps to the Chief of Police of each compo­nent institution.  Each Chief of Police shall distribute copies of this Policy and a map(s) delineating the component police department's restricted primary jurisdiction to the commissioned peace officers of that component.

 

(d)     Commissioned peace officers of the U. T. System or the component institutions shall, if time and circumstances permit, notify and request assistance from the police agency having primary jurisdiction when arrests are anticipated or warrants are to be served outside of the University police officers' restricted primary jurisdiction, as defined by this Policy.

 

 

Last reviewed September 2003