Campus Police Research Articles

Judge rules against former campus police officer

Case name: Rich v. University of Delaware, et al., No. 22‐27 (D. Del. 06/29/23).

CIT Training, Mental Health Attitudes, and Empathy among Campus Police Officers

CIT Training, Mental Health Attitudes, and Empathy among Campus Police Officers

Legal Briefs

Community college settles suit over human trafficking claims Ohio bill addresses campus safety amid protests Rhode Island reintroduces bill to arm campus police officers

Briefs

Former frat leaders plead guilty in pledge hazing death Drexel University resolves civil rights investigation Felony charge for activist who glitter‐bombed Harvard president Campus police chief, others leave jobs after campus double murder

To protect and to serve? Comparing students’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the campus police in urban and suburban contexts

PurposeGiven that previous research examining students’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the campus police (CP) has largely taken place on a single campus and utilized quantitative methods, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how community context shapes students’ interactions with and perceptions of the CP in two distinct campus settings.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on in-depth interviews with 70 undergraduates, including 36 attending a university in a relatively safe, affluent suburban area and 34 attending a university in a high crime, disadvantaged urban area.FindingsAlthough participants at both universities appreciated the presence and visibility of the CP, some Suburban U students felt that rather than being protected from outside threats, they were instead policed for engaging in behaviors that they deemed typical of the college experience. Alternatively, Urban U students expressed the opposite of their CP, providing evidence that brief and positive officer-initiated encounters can enhance perceptions of legitimacy, particularly in settings characterized by higher crime rates.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings have implications for how the CP can build trust and legitimacy among students to enhance campus safety and foster future compliance and mutual respect.Originality/valueThis study extends the findings of previous research in two important ways. First, it compares two starkly different campus contexts to understand how community setting and local crime rates influence students’ perceptions of the CP, and second, it utilizes both a comparative and qualitative research design.

Court rules against former campus police officer

Case name: Longerbeam v. Shepherd University, et al., No. 22‐609 (W. Va. 04/11/24).

Court rules against former campus police officer

Court rules against former campus police officer

Court rules against former campus police officer

Case name: Longerbeam v. Shepherd University, et al., No. 22‐609 (W. Va. 04/11/24).

Court rules against former campus police officer

Case name: Longerbeam v. Shepherd University, et al., No. 22‐609 (W. Va. 04/11/24).

Judge rules against former campus police officer

Judge rules against former campus police officer

Court rules against campus police chief

Case name: Ashford v. University of Michigan, et al., No. 22‐2057 (6th Cir. 01/09/24).

Court rules against campus police chief

Case name: Ashford v. University of Michigan, et al., No. 22‐2057 (6th Cir. 01/09/24).

Court rules against campus police chief

Case name: Ashford v. University of Michigan, et al., No. 22‐2057 (6th Cir. 01/09/24).

A higher education approach to active shooter incidents: Evidence from 40 United States university campuses.

In a post-9/11 environment with an increased United States (US) federal government emphasis on active shooter preparedness, this study seeks to understand how higher educational institutions have adapted to this changing policy environment. Furthermore, between 2000 and 2017, there were 15 active shooter incidents at US higher education institutions. This study provides data on how public and private higher education campuses are preparing for this increased active shooter threat. Interviews were conducted with higher education employees familiar with campus security policies from 40 higher education institutions across 18 states in the US. These colleges/universities also represented a range of institution type: community colleges (5), public institutions (9), and private institutions (26). Interviews were conducted with 18 Chief/Director of Campus Safety/Security, 14 members of campus police or security, seven Chiefs of Police, and one staff member familiar with campus security policies.

Contact with and Perceptions of Campus Police Among College Students at a Small-Town University

Although research has documented an association between sociodemographic and behavioral factors and contact with local police, it remains unclear whether such relationships exist among college students who experience contact with university police. It is also unknown how such factors relate to students’ perceptions of campus police. Given the contentious nature of law enforcement in the U.S. and the racialized climate in higher education, it is imperative to understand how college students’ interactions with and perceptions of campus police fall in relation to the broader narrative of policing. Analyzing data from a current sample of approximately 400 undergraduate students enrolled at a small, public university in the Northeast United States, this study examines the sociodemographic and behavioral correlates of students’ contact with and perceptions of university police. Results suggest there are minimal differences between students with and without a history of police-initiated contact in terms of sociodemographic background. Nevertheless, despite this distribution of contact with campus police, self-identified sexual minorities, racial and ethnic minorities, as well as politically liberal students were among those to possess more negative views of campus police. We discuss these findings as a potential by-product of the broader rhetoric surrounding police-community relationships and racism in higher education.

Marginal no more: the equalization of campus and municipal police

ABSTRACT Research of campus police has consistently demonstrated that they are viewed as less than or ‘not real cops,’ even though campus police possess full law enforcement powers. Using the liminality theoretical framework, this study examines four campus communities’ perceptions of campus and municipal police legitimacy. This study surveyed students, faculty, staff, and administrators using an online survey instrument across the participating campuses (N = 2,488). Even though the college campuses vary greatly regarding their population, settings, region, crime rates, and racial diversity, this study found remarkably consistent findings across campuses and classifications of respondents. Across almost all questions and campuses, respondents frequently evaluated campus police as legitimate as municipal police, which is a stark deviation from the extant research in this area. The only difference in evaluation between campus and municipal police was respondents were much less likely to think campus police should be armed (73%) compared to their municipal counterparts (90%). This research adds to the very small body of literature that finds campus police are finally being viewed as legitimate police.

Judge rules against former campus police officer

Case name: Rich v. University of Delaware, et al., No. 22‐27 (D. Del. 06/29/23).

Universal mandatory reporting policies show null effects in a statewide college sample.

It is widely assumed that universal mandatory reporting policies (MRPs) for sexual misconduct are important for campus safety, but there is little evidence to support these assumptions. Given the exploratory nature of this research, no formal hypotheses were tested. We did not expect universal MRPs to be significantly associated with increased reporting or postreporting outcomes. Data on MRPs and sexual misconduct reporting in annual security reports and to Title IX coordinators at institutions of higher education in New York (N = 188) were used to examine the prevalence of universal MRPs as well as the relationship between MRPs and reporting and postreporting outcomes. Descriptives showed that 44% of institutions of higher education have a universal MRP. Multivariate linear regression models indicated that universal MRPs were not significantly related to reporting in annual security reports; reports to Title IX coordinators, campus police, campus safety or security officers; or rates of referrals to additional services, no-contact orders, access to the judicial conduct process for sexual misconduct, or findings of student responsibility for sexual misconduct. Our findings raise concerns about the widespread implementation of MRPs and highlight the need for future research on their impact on student-survivor reporting and access to remedies and resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The power of uniforms to change your community relationships

For years, I can remember that police uniforms, regardless of the municipality, all looked similar. Campus police and public safety officers also took to wearing that type and style of uniform, and it helped make the transition from campus security guards.

Judge rules against former campus police officer

Case name: Rich v. University of Delaware, et al., No. 22‐27 (D. Del. 06/29/23).