1894 – Yale University is widely recognized as the first university to add police to their campus. This began as “a rumor was circulated that Yale Medical School students had been removing recently buried bodies from local cemeteries for use as cadavers. This rumor resulted in a mass riot in which many students and townspeople were injured, at which point Bill [Wiser] and Jim [Donnelly] were assigned to the Yale campus.”-Yale PD. They were two New Haven, Connecticut policemen who volunteered to be assigned full time to Yale.
1966 – (S.B. 97) The Georgia General Assembly granted campus policemen arrest powers to make arrests for offenses committed upon any property under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
1974 – (H.B. 1763) The Georgia General Assembly extended arrest powers to 500 yards from property owned by the Board of Regents.
1977 – (H.B. 366) The Georgia General Assembly granted campus policemen employed by public or private colleges and universities certain law enforcement powers, including the power of arrest; to provide definitions; to provide qualifications and training requirements for campus policemen exercising such law enforcement powers; to provide for the payment of the cost of training and certifying campus policemen.
1979 – (H.B. 183) The Georgia General Assembly included campus policemen employed by a school or training facility operated by or pursuant to the authority of the State Board of Education.
1981 – (H.B. 551) The Georgia General Assembly stated the word “campus” shall include certain public streets or sidewalks for educational facilities located within municipalities of this State having a population of 400,000 or more according to the United States decennial census of 1970 or any future such census.
1982 – (H.B. 1983) The Georgia General Assembly added a provision for POST certified officers working in a county school system shall have the same law enforcement powers on school property as law enforcement officers of the county for each county having a population of not less than 210,000 nor more than 450,000 according to the United States decennial census of 1980 or any future such census.
1984 – (S.B. 537) The Georgia General Assembly redefined “Campus” as 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.
1984 – (H.B. 1215) The Georgia General Assembly instructed the courts to pay campus policemen and all other GA officers witness fees of a minimum of $20 per day paid by the court for testifying in court. This payment is only granted if the officer is outside of his regular shift and duties as he cannot be paid by both the court and his agency. No number of subpoenas on a given day will change the witness fees.
1987 – (H.B. 127) The Georgia General Assembly added civil cases concerning an officer’s law enforcement duties to deserve the witness fees. This payment is only granted if the officer is outside of his regular shift and duties as he cannot be paid by both the court and his agency.1990 – (S.B. 641) The Georgia General Assembly clarified the authority of peace officers employed by universities, colleges, and schools, as well as officers of the state and political subdivisions, to apply for search warrants. This also added that search warrants executed beyond the arrest jurisdiction of a campus policeman shall be made jointly with a certified peace officer of a law enforcement unit of the political subdivision wherein the search will be conducted.
1992 – (S.B. 563) The Georgia General Assembly made carrying or possessing weapons at a school building, school function, school property or on school transportation illegal. This includes exceptions for competitors participating in organized sport shooting events, law enforcement officers, peace officers retired from state or federal law enforcement agencies, judges, magistrates, solicitors, and district attorneys. Exceptions also allow a duly authorized school official to grant a person authority to carry in writing for any activity conducted at a school as well as authority to carry a firearm secured in a vehicle. GA carry permit holders can carry or pick up a student while possessing a firearm.
1998 – (H.B. 1391) The Georgia General Assembly required campus policemen of certain educational facilities to report criminal gang activity; to require that certain subjects be included in basic and in-service training of peace officers; to provide for certain findings by the General Assembly relating to the incarceration of members of criminal street gangs; to request and encourage certain state and local officials to develop policies and procedures relating to the incarceration of or custody of members of criminal street gangs