State University of New York Police - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The New York State University Police (NYSUP) is the law enforcement agency

Law enforcement agency

In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...

of the State University of New York

State University of New York

The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...

(SUNY), the state university system

State university system

A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, or a similar entity such as the District of Columbia. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country...

of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. Approximately 600 uniformed officers and investigators, and 64 chiefs serve the 28 state college and university

State university system

campus

Campus

A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...

es throughout the state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

.

State University Police Officers are charged with the detection and prevention of crime and the enforcement of state

State law

In the United States, state law is the law of each separate U.S. state, as passed by the state legislature and adjudicated by state courts. It exists in parallel, and sometimes in conflict with, United States federal law. These disputes are often resolved by the federal courts.-See also:*List of U.S...

and local laws and rules and regulations. Officers speak on topics such as sexual assault

Sexual assault

Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....

, drug

Drug

A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...

s, crime prevention

Crime prevention

Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce victimization and to deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice.-Studies:...

, and traffic safety and are responsible for developing and maintaining a positive relationship with students, faculty and staff in order to ensure the safety and cooperation of the entire campus community.

State University Police Officers receive their official powers through the Education Law and the Criminal Procedure law. These authorize a State University Police Officer to make warrantless

Arrest warrant

An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....

arrests based on probable cause

Probable cause

In United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest, etc. when criminal charges are being considered. It is also used to refer to the...

; to use appropriate force in making an arrest; to issue uniform appearance tickets and traffic summonses and to execute arrest and bench warrants.

One of the things which make the state university police unique, is that for minor offenses Officers (at their discretion) can refer students to the college judicial board instead of pursuing an arrest; however, officers also have the option to arrest students for offsenses and simultaneously refer them to the college judiciary (increasing the capacity for the officers to be a deterrent to crime).

State University Police Officers are assigned to fixed or rotating shifts involving patrol assignments or dispatch/desk posts.

Officers also can take advantage of statewide promotional opportunities.

Unlike the NYS Park Police each SUNY PD operates as its own police department, although it would be cheaper and more efficient to centralize the department, the SUNY administration and state legislature have continued to fight moves to centralize the police department.

History

The New York State University Police were formed in response to the growing unrest that was taking place through the SUNY system during the mid-1960s. Demonstrations and protests against the Vietnam War

Opposition to the Vietnam War

The movement against US involvment in the in Vietnam War began in the United States with demonstrations in 1964 and grew in strength in later years. The US became polarized between those who advocated continued involvement in Vietnam, and those who wanted peace. Peace movements consisted largely of...

, the growing use of drugs, the questioning of authority, political movements with their sit-in demonstrations all contributed to the formation of today's State University Police. Several incidents during the 1990s brought the need for a full service police agency to the forefront. These included a hostage-taking in a SUNY Albany lecture hall by a deranged gunman, the "Bike Path Rapist" who killed a female student at the University at Buffalo, and the suspicious circumstances regarding the disappearance of a SUNY Albany student while on campus. While no longer in the forefront of the public mind, these and other incidents moved the Governor and Legislature to create the New York State University Police in 1999. Today the State University Police provide much needed services to the university community. Through community policing, the NYSUP reaches out not only to the immediate campus community, but to the surrounding communities as well. Officers have the powers of arrest, issue uniform traffic tickets, and enforce all New York State penal laws.

Timeline

1971 - First Campus Security Officer exam was given
1972 - Security and Peace Officers were included in the Education Law
1974 - First arming program conducted at S.U.N.Y. Albany
1975 - Task force for Public Safety recommends move from Education Law to Penal Law
1980 - The omnibus Peace Officer Bill was signed putting Public Safety Officer/University Police in the Criminal Procedure Law.
1986 - Dr. Bruce McBride appointed as Director of Public Safety
1995 - New York State University Police name proposed
1999 - January 1: University Public Safety officers gain Police Officer status (State University Police Officers now use police officer title and mirror the New York State Police.)

Training

While initial trainees were once trained at the New York State Police

New York State Police

The New York State Police is the state police force of over 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not...

Academy in Albany, NY, prospective new officers are now trained at the regional Zone academies in the area in which they are first stationed. Training at these academies is rigorous and meets or exceeds New York State Department of Criminal Justice Standards for Police Officers. The Police Officer Basic Course includes training in:

Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Vehicle and Traffic Law, Environmental Conservation Law and others.
Defensive Tactics
Domestic Violence
Drug and Alcohol Recognition and Enforcement
Emergency Vehicle Operation
Firearms and Chemical Agents
Physical Training
Arrest Techniques and Process
Report Writing
Interviewing and Interrogating
Investigation Techniques
Patrol Tactics
Traffic and Felony Vehicle Stops
Critical Incident Management
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Emotionally Disturbed Persons
Computer Operations

Each new officer must then complete a minimum of twelve weeks of on-the-job training assigned to a Field Training Officer at their respective campus.

Specialized Units

Depending on location and training, New York State University Police Officers may be selected for specialized units that allow the agency to better serve the community. Some of these units include:

Police Bike Patrol Unit
Firearms Training Unit
Emergency Response Team (SWAT)
Crime Prevention/Education Unit
K-9 Unit (Tracking, Narcotics and/or Explosive Detection)
Crime Scene Unit
Civil Disturbance Response Unit
Honor Guard
Executive Protection Unit
Rape Aggression Defense Class Instructor Unit

The New York State University Police also has a Criminal Investigations Unit, a plainclothes unit responsible for both criminal and non-criminal investigations. Criminal Investigators train in a broad variety of investigative topics such as Sexual Assault Investigations, Domestic Violence, Computer and White Collar Crimes, Homicide and Evidence Collection and Preservation.

Recent developments

In 2010 the New York State University Police at Stony Brook became the 2nd department in NYSUP to become an accredited law enforcement agency by the New York York state department of Criminal justice services. An honor Which shows that they exceed the standards required to be a law enforcement agency in the fine state of New York. Less than half the law enforcement agencies in New York have been able to meet the requirement for accreditation; Therefore, proving the dedication to professionalism and high standards set by NYUP at stony brook. Check back for a listing for the other accredited NYSUP departments.

The President of the New York State University Police Officers Union, James McCartney, testified in 2007 to the state Senate Higher Education Committee and again in 2008 to the SUNY Board of Trustees as to what he expressed were ongoing issues with the State University Police, including a dysfunctional decentralized command system and ongoing staffing, equipment and training deficiencies. Mr. McCartney also expressed concern with the waste of a top-heavy UPD Chief staff, with 65 management positions compared to only 24 total in the other state law enforcement agencies combined.

Also in 2007, an investigative audit by the New York State Comptroller
New York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...

found that the majority of the SUNY campuses had under-reported crimes and failed to disclose certain safety and security policies at their location, in violation of the Federal Clery Act
Clery Act
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act or Clery Act is a federal statute codified at , with implementing regulations in the U.S...

. State University Police Stations found to be in violation of Federal Law by failing to disclose safety and security policies included SUNY Albany, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY Downstate Medical, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Buffalo State College, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Old Westbury, SUNY Optometry, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Purchase, SUNY Alfred State, SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Environmental and Forestry (ESF), SUNY Farmington, SUNY Maritime, SUNY Morrisville, and the SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT). Campuses found to be violating Federal Law by underreporting crime statistics included SUNY Binghamton, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Buffalo State College, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Old Westbury, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Alfred State, SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Farmingdale, SUNY Maritime and SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT). The audit noted that SUNY Stony Brook University Police was found to have not reported 48% of the index crimes which occurred at the University; in particular, several sexual assaults had been labeled as "Investigations," and therefore not properly disclosed to the community.

Following the arrest in 2009 of three SUNY Geneseo students on Criminally Negligent Homicide charges in the death of a 19 year-old student it was revealed that the New York State Inspector General was investigating the State University Police at Geneseo police administration. Investigators appeared to be focusing on renewed allegations that SUNY Geneseo was violating federal law by not accurately reporting crimes, and on allegations that the police administration was not notifying neighboring agencies when it became aware of students engaging in criminal activity off campus.

External links

New York State University Police
New York State University Police Officers Union
State University Police Albany Station SUNY University at Albany "UAlbany"
State University Police Alfred Station SUNY Alfred State College
State University Police Binghamton Station SUNY Binghamton University "BU"
State University Police Brockport Station SUNY State University College at Brockport
State University Police UB North and South Campus Station SUNY University at Buffalo "UB"
State University Police Buffalo State Station SUNY Buffalo State College
State University Police Canton Station SUNY College of Technology at Canton
State University Police Cobleskill Station SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill
State University Police Cortland Station State University College at Cortland
State University Police Delhi Station SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
State University Police Downstate Medical Station SUNY Downstate Medical Center
State University Police ESF Syracuse Station SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry "ESF"
State University Police Farmingdale Station SUNY Farmingdale State College
State University Police Fredonia Station SUNY Fredonia State College
State University Police Geneseo Station SUNY State University College at Geneseo
State University Police Maritime (Throggs Neck, Manhattan) Station SUNY Maritime College
State University Police Morrisville Station SUNY Morrisville State College
State University Police New Paltz Station SUNY State University College at New Paltz
State University Police Old Westbury Station SUNY State University College at Old Westbury
State University Police Oneonta Station SUNY State University College at Oneonta
State University Police Optometry (Manhattan) Station SUNY College of Optometry
State University Police Oswego Station SUNY State University College at Oswego
State University Police Plattsburgh Station SUNY State University College at Plattsburgh
State University Police Potsdam Station SUNY State University College at Potsdam
State University Police Purchase Station SUNY Purchase College
State University Police Stony Brook Station SUNY Stony Brook University
State University Police SUNYIT (Utica) Station SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.