Trustees hold second public hearing on officer powers
March 25, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- At their March 22 meeting, members of Western Michigan University's Board of Trustees held the second of two public hearings to discuss the powers and authority of WMU's public safety officers.
A 1990 state law allows four-year public universities to grant their officers the power to enforce Michigan law, and the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, known as MCOLES, has urged all the state's universities to so empower their public safety personnel. Currently, WMU officers have state law enforcement powers through the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department, which swears them in and grants them the same powers and authority as other local deputy sheriffs.
Following the hearing and discussion, trustees deferred action on the matter.
Media contact: Jessica English, 269 387-8400, jessica.english@wmich.edu