An Oregon Senate bill allowing fully sworn and armed police forces on Oregon University System campuses has passed in the Senate, moving on to be approved by the Oregon House of Representatives before potentially becoming law with Gov. John Kitzhaber’s signature.
If passed in the House, Senate Bill 405 would not mandate OUS schools to adopt fully sworn police agencies but would simply allow for it.
University officials such as Vice President for Finance and Administration Frances Dyke and Department of Public Safety Chief Doug Tripp have said the University should have its own police force.
In an email statement Tuesday, Dyke said “The UO is supportive of Sen. Prozanski’s leadership on the bill that would improve campus public safety for students, faculty and staff if it passes in the House. The Department of Public Safety is prepared to take on more responsibility for campus safety and becoming a sworn department would be a significant step for our community.”
The University is the only OUS school that indicated its desire to transition to a fully sworn agency.
ASUO President Amelie Rousseau said that in pursuing this legislation, the Department of Public Safety and the University administration were out of touch with the desires of University students.
“I think the Department of Public Safety was really good about reaching out and informing students about their plans,” Rousseau said, “but I don’t think that they were asking students what they wanted.”
Currently, the University’s DPS comprises special campus security officers. Under this status, the agency cannot conduct its own criminal investigations without assistance from outside law enforcement agencies or present evidence directly to the Lane County District Attorney’s Office for use in prosecutions.
If DPS did undergo the transition, any sworn officers would be required to receive standardized police training from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training’s 16-week basic police course or refresher courses for officers who have been sworn police officers in the past. This is the same minimum standard for other police agencies in Oregon. With this added training, the prospect of a future campus agency could be feasible, though its officers would not be required to carry firearms. In previous statements, Tripp has said he believes any future police agency on campus should be armed.
The bill passed with 19 votes for, 11 votes against and no abstentions on Monday. All 16 Senate Democrats voted for the bill, along with three Republicans.
State Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene), a supporter of the bill and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Tuesday that the bill had bipartisan support, had proper checks and balances and was an overall sound piece of legislation.
“(SB 405) will have quality people being hired as police officers, and it will make sure that they will receive the proper training,” Prozanski said.
Sen. Brian Boquist, (R-Dallas), who voted against the bill, was unable to comment on the bill Tuesday evening but said through an assistant that his statement on the Senate floor Monday spoke for itself.
Boquist said the bill was “paramount to a police state.”
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