Colorado Higher Education Police Officers

C.R.S. tit. 24, art. 7.5

in effect

C.R.S. § 24-7.5-101 State institutions of higher education authorized to employ police officers

24-7.5-101. State institutions of higher education authorized to employ police officers. The state institutions of higher education are authorized to employ police officers to provide law enforcement and property protection for the institution employing the officers and to perform other police, emergency planning, community safety, and administrative functions as may be deemed necessary.

C.R.S. § 24-7.5-102 Supervision and control

24-7.5-102. Supervision and control. State higher education police officers employed pursuant to this article shall be under the supervision and control of the governing board of the employing state institution of higher education or its designee. The governing board or head of the state institution of higher education shall provide institutional police commissions and other appropriate credentials for the police officers. The employing institution may permit its police officers to hold and receive other law enforcement commissions or appointments as are appropriate to carry out their duties.

C.R.S. § 24-7.5-103 Powers conferred

24-7.5-103. Powers conferred. (1) State higher education police officers employed and commissioned pursuant to this article, when operating on property owned or leased by the state institution of higher education, are granted all the powers conferred by law upon peace officers to carry weapons and make arrests. (2) When not on property owned or leased by the state institution of higher education, state higher education police officers shall not have any greater authority than that conferred upon peace officers by section 16-3-110, C.R.S.

C.R.S. § 24-7.5-104 State institution of higher education property not exempt from local law enforcement

24-7.5-104. State institution of higher education property not exempt from local law enforcement. Nothing in this article shall be construed to exempt the property of a state institution of higher education from the authority of law enforcement agencies within whose jurisdiction the property is located; except that representatives of the law enforcement agencies shall coordinate their official actions on the property with the appropriate higher education police officers, except when emergency circumstances preclude such coordination.

C.R.S. § 24-7.5-105 Officers' qualifications

24-7.5-105. Officers' qualifications. State higher education police officers shall be at least twenty-one years of age and shall possess other qualifications as may be specified by the state personnel director, including continuing training as may be prescribed by the director. State higher education police officers shall be certified by the peace officers standards and training board.

C.R.S. § 24-7.5-106 Peace officers standards and training board evaluation and recommendation - legislative authorization of peace officer status required

24-7.5-106. Peace officers standards and training board evaluation and recommendation - legislative authorization of peace officer status required. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a person or group of persons employed by any institution of higher education shall not be designated as police officers after June 3, 2004, without completing the peace officers standards and training board processes described in sections 16-2.5-201 and 16-2.5-202, C.R.S., and obtaining the certification described in section 16-2.5-102, C.R.S.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-24.docxFetched: 10/6/2026