Assembly Bill A10344B

                                BILL NUMBER:A10344

TITLE  OF  BILL:    An  act  to  amend the education law, in relation to
directing the state university trustees to  appoint  a  commissioner  of
state university police

PURPOSE  OR  GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill improves the administration
and professionalism of the public safety agencies that serve and protect
the campuses and facilities of the State University of New York, ensures
comparable training and equipment  for  each  such  agency  and  effects
significant cost savings for system wide public safety services.

SUMMARY  OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:  Section 1 of the bill amends Education
Law section 353(2)(1) by adding new language requiring the Chancellor of
the State University of New York to appoint a Commissioner of University
Police who shall have full  administrative  authority  over  the  campus
police agencies on all SUNY campuses

Section  3  of  the bill provides that it shall take effect on the first
day of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become  a
law.

JUSTIFICATION:  The  men  and women of the State University Police serve
and protect a community of half a million  students,  faculty,  adminis-
tration  and  other  employees and state-wide infrastructure of research
and technological facilities worth billions of dollars. This  system  is
              

crucial to the global competitiveness and future prosperity of the state
and  people  of  New  York. It is in the public interest that members of
those campus police forces be given leadership and  direction  commensu-
rate  with  their  responsibility  to  provide the level of service this
world class university system requires,

As currently administered, police services to the campuses of  the  SUNY
system  are  operated under a decentralized structure. Each of the twen-
ty-eight campuses currently maintaining a police farce operate under its
own policies, procedures, practices, budgets, resources  and  levels  of
efficiency  and  preparedness.  Some  are,  as  a  result,  inadequately
equipped and trained and unable to put the number of boots-on-the ground
that is required to  police  a  large  and  populous  campus  community.
Certainly,  capability to respond to instances of violent situations and
disasters is unacceptably uneven among campuses.

SUNY Systems Administration currently maintains the position of  Assist-
ant  Vice Chancellor of University Police and Director of Public Safety.
This position is of an advisory nature and cannot  mandate  specific  or
standard policy or procedure applicable to all campus police departments
including  such balance and critical matters as staffing, arming, train-
ing, allocation of resources and critical  incident  response  prepared-
ness.

This  legislation  Will  centralize and streamline the administration of
the currently existing twenty-eight campus police agencies and save  the

state  and  initial  S3  million  a year. The reorganization would place
responsibility for administering a system-wide force of 500 Police Offi-
cers, Police Investigators and police supervisors  with  a  SUNY  Police
Commissioner;  qualified  by  background,  training  and  experience and
appointed by the Trustees. This will  provide  for  a  State  University
Police  to  be  operated  in  a  centralized format with designated rank
structures and a centralized chain of command.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Centralizing  the  administration  of  twenty-eight
SUNY  Campus Police Forces will reduce costs and realize savings through
standardization affecting many expenses for equipment, training  and  so
forth.  It  is  estimated  that  the  bill  will realize a savings of $3
million a year,

EFFECTIVE DATE: The first date of January next succeeding  the  date  on
which it shall have become law.

                                BILL NUMBER:A10344A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to directing the state
university trustees to appoint a commissioner of state university police

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill improves
the administration
and professionalism of the public safety agencies that serve and
protect the campuses and facilities of the State University of New
York, ensures comparable training and equipment for each such agency
and effects significant cost savings for system wide public safety
services.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends Education Law section 355(2)(1) by adding
new language requiring the Chancellor of the State University of New
York to appoint a Commissioner of University Police who shall have
full administrative authority over the campus police agencies on all
SUNY campuses

Section 3 of the bill provides that it shall take effect on the first
day of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become
a law.

              

JUSTIFICATION: The men and women of the State
University Police serve
and protect a community of half a million students, faculty,
administration and other employees and
state-wide infrastructure of research and technological facilities
worth billions of dollars. This system is crucial to the global
competitiveness and future prosperity of the state and people of New
York. It is in the public interest that members of those campus
police forces be given leadership and direction commensurate with
their responsibility to provide the level of service this world class
university system requires.

As currently administered, police services to the campuses of the SUNY
system are operated under a decentralized structure. Each of the
twenty-eight campuses currently maintaining a police force operate
under its own policies, procedures, practices, budgets, resources and
levels of efficiency and preparedness. Some are, as a result,
inadequately equipped and trained and unable to put the number of
boots-on-the ground that is required to police a large and populous
campus community. Certainly, capability to respond to instances of
violent situations and disasters is unacceptably uneven among campuses.

SUNY Systems Administration currently maintains the position of
Assistant Vice Chancellor of University Police and Director of Public
Safety. This position is of an advisory nature and cannot mandate
specific or standard policy or procedure applicable to all campus

police departments including such balance and critical matters as
staffing, arming, training, allocation of resources and critical
incident response preparedness.

This legislation will centralize and streamline the administration of
the currently existing twenty-eight campus police agencies and save
the state and initial $3 million a year. The reorganization would
place responsibility for administering a system-wide force of 500
Police Officers, Police Investigators and police supervisors with a
SUNY Police Commissioner; qualified by background, training and
experience and appointed by the Trustees. This will provide for a
State University Police to be operated in a centralized format with
designated rank structures and a centralized chain of command.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Centralizing the administration
of twenty-eight
SUNY Campus Police Forces will reduce costs and realize savings
through standardization affecting many expenses for equipment,
training and so forth. It is estimated that the bill will realize a
savings of $3 million a year.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The first date of January next
succeeding the date on
which it shall have become law.