2021 Georgia Code
Title 20 - Education
Chapter 8 - Campus Policemen
§ 20-8-1. Definitions
As used in this chapter, the term:
- "Campus" means the grounds and buildings owned or occupied by a college or university or the grounds and buildings of a school or training facility operated by or under the authority of the State Board of Education. The term "campus" shall also include any public or private property within 500 yards of the property of an educational facility and one-quarter mile of any public street or public sidewalk connecting different buildings of the same educational facility when the property or buildings of the educational facility are located within any county in this state having a population of 400,000 or more according to the United States decennial census of 1970 or any future such census.
- "Campus policeman" means an employee of an educational facility whose duties include the enforcement of the laws of this state; the preservation of public order; the protection of life and property; the prevention, detection, or investigation of crime; or any combination thereof.
- "College or university" means an accredited, nonproprietary, public or private educational institution of higher learning located in this state.
- "Educational facility" means a college or university or a school or training facility operated by or under the authority of the State Board of Education.
(Ga. L. 1977, p. 1160, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 1323, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 806, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 596, § 1.)
OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Application to private colleges and universities.
- Ga. L. 1977, p. 1160 does apply to private colleges and universities, but only when the college or university desires to authorize their campus police officers to exercise law enforcement powers including the power to arrest. In that case, the law requires that the campus police officer be certified by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. 1980 Op. Att'y Gen. No. U80-17.
Application to school security personnel employed by public board of education.
- School security personnel employed by the board of education of a county or an independent board of education of a municipality for the various public schools, who are authorized by those boards to have law enforcement powers, are not campus police pursuant to paragraph (2) of O.C.G.A. § 20-8-1. 1989 Op. Att'y Gen. 89-29.
Inapplicable to university system officers.- O.C.G.A. Ch. 8, T. 20 has no application to campus police officers and security officers of the university system. 1990 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 90-11.
