Opinion No. (2003)

BILL LOCKYER Attorney General SUSAN DUNCAN LEE Deputy Attorney General THE HONORABLE JOHN J. SANSONE, COUNTY COUNSEL, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, has requested an opinion on the following question: May a security officer employed by a community college district exercise the powers of a peace officer on behalf of the district? CONCLUSION A security officer employed by a community college district may not exercise the powers of a peace officer on behalf of the district. Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training." These training requirements are applicable to ANALYSIS We are informed that prior to 1987, a community college district employed security officers to patrol its property. In 1987, the district formed a police department with the expectation that its security officers would become district police officers. However, four of its security officers failed to satisfactorily complete their training as peace officers and remained employed by the district as security officers. The question presented for resolution concerns whether these security officers may exercise the powers of a peace officer on behalf of the district. We conclude that they may not. The Legislature has adopted…