Skip to Content
March 29, 2024 Rain | 37°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

     Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
     SECTION 1.  Section 50 of chapter 22C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph.
     SECTION 2.  Chapter 75 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 32A, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following 2 sections:-
     Section 32A.  The trustees shall make rules and regulations for the control, movement and parking of vehicles on the campus of the university and on other land of the university, and may provide reasonable penalties for the violation of those rules and regulations. The trustees may appoint as police officers persons employed by the university who, in the enforcement of these rules and regulations and throughout university property shall have the powers of police officers, except as to service of civil process. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all fines and penalties recovered for violation of rules and regulations made under the authority of this section shall be accounted for by the clerk of the court and forwarded to the trustees of the university to be deposited in the scholarship trust fund of the university for scholarship purposes.
     Police officers appointed by the trustees of the University of Massachusetts, in connection with the operation of any part of the university within the limits of the campuses, may perform police duties under the direction of the commanding officer or the person in charge of such campus.  While performing such duties within those limits, the police officers shall have the same authority, immunities and privileges as duly appointed and qualified police officers acting elsewhere in the commonwealth.  Every officer who receives an appointment to a position on a full-time basis in which that person may exercise police powers for any of the campuses of the University of Massachusetts, shall, prior to exercising those police powers, be assigned to and satisfactorily complete a prescribed course of study approved by the municipal police training committee or the department of the state police.
     Section 32B.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any campus of the University of Massachusetts may enter into an agreement with any subdivision of the federal or state government, town, city or other towns and cities, including towns and cities in states contiguous to the commonwealth, to provide mutual aid programs for police departments to increase the capability of such departments to protect the lives, safety and property of the people in the area designated in the agreement.  The agreement may include the furnishing of personal services, supplies, materials, contractual services and equipment when the resources normally available to the University or any municipality in the agreement are not sufficient to cope with a situation which requires police action.  When providing such mutual aide, police officers shall have all the immunities and powers granted to them by the University or the municipalities that employ them including, but not limited to, the same duties, authority, immunities and privileges as duly appointed and qualified police officers acting as such in the municipality.
    SECTION 3.  Nothing in this act shall interfere with or amend any mutual aid agreements currently in place pursuant to chapter 348 of the acts of 2004.

Approved, July 18, 2014.