SECOND REGULAR SESSION
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE CONWAY (104).
5331H.02I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 174.709, 174.712, and 178.862, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof three new sections relating to community college police officers.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 174.709, 174.712, and 178.862, RSMo, are repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 174.709, 174.712, and 178.862, to read as follows:
174.709. 1. For the purpose of promoting public safety, health, and general welfare and to protect life and property, the board of regents or board of governors of any state college or university or the board of trustees of any community college district may establish regulations to control vehicular traffic, including speed regulations, on any thoroughfare owned or maintained by the state college or university or community college district and located within any of its campuses. Such regulations shall be consistent with the provisions of the general motor vehicle laws of this state. Upon adoption of such regulations, the state college or university or community college shall have the authority to place official traffic control signals, as defined in section 300.010, on campus property.
2. The regulations established by the board of regents or board of governors of any state college or university or board of trustees of any community college district under subsection 1 of this section shall be codified, printed, and distributed for public use. Adequate signs displaying the speed limit shall be posted along such thoroughfares.
3. Violations of any regulation established under this section shall have the same effect as a violation of municipal ordinances adopted under section 304.120, with penalty provisions as provided in section 304.570. Points assessed against any person under section 302.302 for a violation of this section shall be the same as provided for a violation of a county or municipal ordinance.
4. The provisions of this section shall apply only to moving violations.
174.712. All motor vehicles operated upon any thoroughfare owned or maintained by a state college or university or community college district and located within any of its campuses shall be subject to the provisions of the general motor vehicle laws of this state, including chapters 301, 302, 303, 304, 307, and 577. Violations shall have the same effect as though such had occurred on public roads, streets, or highways of this state.
178.862. 1. The trustees of any community college district of this state may appoint and employ as many college police officers as they may deem necessary to protect persons, property, and to preserve peace and good order only in the public buildings, properties, grounds, and other facilities and locations over which they have charge or control.
2. The college police officers, before they enter upon their duties, shall take and subscribe an oath of office before some officer authorized to administer oaths, to faithfully and impartially discharge the duties thereof, which oath shall be filed in the office of the college district board of trustees, and the secretary of the board shall give each college police officer so appointed and qualified a certificate of appointment, under the seal of the board of trustees, which certificate shall empower him with the same authority to maintain order, preserve peace and make arrests as is now held by peace officers; the college police officer may in addition expel from the public buildings, campuses, and grounds, persons violating the rules and regulations that may be prescribed by the board of trustees or others under the authority of the board. Such officer or employee of the community college as may be designated by the board of trustees shall have immediate charge, control and supervision of college police officers appointed by authority of this section. Such college police officers shall have satisfactorily completed before appointment[, or within six months after appointment,] a training course for [college police] peace officers [which shall consist of at least three hundred twenty hours] as [prescribed by the superintendent of the Missouri state highway patrol. The community college district shall reimburse all such college police officers appointed by them who complete the training course for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in taking the training course, and shall reimburse the highway patrol for any expenses directly relating to the prescribed or holding of a training course which are recommended by the patrol] required under chapter 590 or, by virtue of previous experience or other training, have met the requirements of chapter 590.
3. College police officers also shall have authority to establish and enforce regulations to control vehicular traffic and enforce general motor vehicle laws of this state on any thoroughfare owned or maintained by the college district as proscribed under sections 174.709 and 174.712.
4. Nothing herein shall be construed as denying the board of trustees the right to appoint guards or watchmen who shall not be given the authority and powers hereby authorized.
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