Rexburg police responsible for patrolling BYU-Idaho
Last month the state agency issued an opinion that the school, as a private entity, can't have its own police force with law enforcement authority.
Campus police were being paid by BYU-Idaho, a subsidiary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. School officials did not return a call from The Associated Press on Saturday.
The Rexburg police force has added four patrol officers, one investigator and one additional staffer to handle the added responsibility.
"I don't see any disruptions," police Capt. Randy Lewis told the Post Register. "I think it'll work really well, and they'll get really good law enforcement."
The state Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy, which certifies local police officers, requested an opinion in March from the attorney general's office on whether BYU-Idaho campus police qualified as peace officers.
POST Director Jeff Black wrote in his request, "Although the Rexburg Police Department 'commissions' the BYU-Idaho campus police officers, they are not employed by that political subdivision. As employees of the private corporation, is this contractual arrangement consistent with the definition of 'peace officer' under Idaho Law?"
"The City of Rexburg exceeded its authority by entering into an agreement with BYU-Idaho for the joint exercise of law enforcement authority," the opinion reads. "Idaho authorizes joint powers agreements to be entered into only between public entities. As a private educational institution, BYU-Idaho is not a public agency."
Even so, according to the opinion, all "arrests and other lawful actions of BYU-Idaho employees certified in the past as law enforcement officers prior to a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction or decertification by POST should be upheld."
Recent comments
To the last two commentators,
You both are totally ignorant…John Pack Lambert | Sept. 29, 2008 at 5:41 a.m.
Who's responsible for enforcing all the rules? I don't mean the laws…
Lewt | Sept. 28, 2008 at 9:46 p.m.
Was Coca Cola illegal under the church police?
Darrel | Sept. 28, 2008 at 6:33 p.m.
