What is a LEO?

[endigo]

Does a college campus security count as a LEO in regards to the requirement to show CHL along with drivers license?

How about security on the campus of a large corporation?

How about mall security?

[seamusTX]

Look here.

The police of a public university or high-school campus are peace officers.

Security guards are not generally peace officers, though peace officers can act as guards at privately-owned places and retain all their powers.

- Jim

[srothstein]

For a listing of all of the peace officers, check the law here:

http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/do ... tm#2.12.00


Some college campuses (and high schools) use peace officers, some use security guards, and some use a mixture of both. Many malls or other areas hire off duty peace officers to work security too.

If I recall the laws correctly (and I don't want to dig through DPS rules right now) the security guard uniform MUST use the word security on it clearly. If you see that word, they are not peace officers and you do not need to give them the CHL. If you see almost anything else, they probably are peace officers. Other words to watch for include police, sheriff, or marshal (and many fire marshals are peace officers while not all are).

Some words like warden or trooper or patrolman are ambiguous and can be used by either peace officers or security.

[FriscoKid]

Their patches on the shoulders and their badges and car doors will have the word "Police". Otherwise it might say "Guard" or "Security".


If you're talking about UT campuses (UT, UTA, UTD, etc.) the ones in blue shirts are peace officers and the white shirts are guards who work for the police department. State law allows educational institution "guards" to also carry batons, and their departments will issue the same pepper spray as the peace officers once they've completed the training.


While their department policies may differ, case law has been established that a university peace officer in Texas generally has primary jurisdiction county wide in any county where the system owns property. For UT system peace officers, this means they have almost statewide jurisdiction due to land donations that have been made in people's wills.

[endigo]

http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/do ... tm#2.12.00

Wow, this one is interesting...

officers commissioned by the State Board of Dental
Examiners under Section 254.013, Occupations Code, subject to the
limitations imposed by that section.

[srothstein]

More interesting to me was the one for officers commissioned by the Pharmacy Board (CCP says under chapter 554 of Occupations Code).

The Occupations Code specifically says they are peace officers but have no authority to arrest or carry a gun. So my question then is why make them peace officers? It is for the search authority is the only reason i could come up with.

[NguyenVanDon]

If they are in uniform with a badge, gun, extra magazine, hand cuff, and pepper spray, I consider them as Campus Police. I really don't how much jurisdictions they have comparing to other LEO, but I'm pretty sure someone here probably knows.

[BrassMonkey]

Perot Systems - Armed PPO's NOT POLICE

Grapevine Mills Mall - Certified Security Officers - NOT POLICE

Baylor Health Care System Public Safety - Duly Appointed TCLEOSE Certified Police Officers - THESE ARE COPS - Jurisdiction in at least every city where we have a facility open to the public. They make it a point not to execresize that unless on campus for obvious reasons though.

I will also go out on a limb since I am sure I will get a face full of 000 buck for this but. Where I'm from. Florida officers required no certification whatsoever. Most of them were Ex-Cons. I respected them as human beings, but no more. No Authority, No right to do anything. In fact, while working, their rights were even less so then mine as a general citizen at the time. Their sole job/charter was to observe and report. They do not get involved. Being the way I grew up and all, that mentatility carries over here to Texas. I have many times been approached and "asked/ordered" to do something by mall security guards. In all unreasonable circumstances, my response is a dead panned, "Call a cop" and I walk away.

Police Officers garner the additional respect via governmental authority in my book. Always will...

Does a college campus security count as a LEO in regards to the requirement to show CHL along with drivers license?

How about security on the campus of a large corporation?

How about mall security?

[CHL/LEO]

...Florida officers required no certification whatsoever. Most of them were Ex-Cons.

When you state "officers" do you mean Security Guards or were you actually referring to Law Enforcement Officers?

[BrassMonkey]

security

...Florida officers required no certification whatsoever. Most of them were Ex-Cons.

When you state "officers" do you mean Security Guards or were you actually referring to Law Enforcement Officers?

[lrb111]

More interesting to me was the one for officers commissioned by the Pharmacy Board (CCP says under chapter 554 of Occupations Code).

The Occupations Code specifically says they are peace officers but have no authority to arrest or carry a gun. So my question then is why make them peace officers? It is for the search authority is the only reason i could come up with.

How about "chain of custody"?

[srothstein]

Can't be that since many departments, like San Antonio, are using civilians as evidence technicians to process scenes. Well, more I think of it, it may be something along those lines int eh federal drug laws that I am not aware of.

[trdvet]

Police Officers in TX must attend a TCLEOSE approved academy. After the academy and successful completion they are licensed by the state (TCLEOSE) license. Then they must work for a police dept. or sheriffs office, etc.

I assure you that "campus cops" are real cops. Some malls utilize off duty cops as security so they are real cops too.

[Will938]

Basically assume they were are peace officers before burning off infront of the school PD, and if you're confronted and not sure, ask "Are you a peace officer of Texas?" I'm pretty sure if they lie and say yes they'd be in a world of hurt, and if they are then you haven't done anything stupid by treating them otherwise.