Hagerstown Community College Police Force - Jurisdiction
Summary
SB 504 expands the territorial authority of the Hagerstown Community College Police Force. Under current law, Hagerstown Community College police officers generally may exercise police powers only on property owned, leased, operated by, or under the control of the college. This bill would allow those officers to exercise the powers of a peace and police officer anywhere within Washington County in three limited situations: when engaged in fresh pursuit of a suspected offender, when needed to help manage traffic flow to and from college property, or when ordered by the Governor.
The bill also preserves the existing framework for the college police force by leaving in place the Board of Trustees’ authority to set standards, qualifications, training, and regulations for officers and operations. It adds a new clarification that nothing in the section should be read to supersede the authority or jurisdiction of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office or other law enforcement agencies, and it does not limit any authority already granted to the college police force under the Criminal Law Article.
Impact
SB 504 would amend Section 16-407.1 of the Education Article of the Maryland Code to broaden the geographic jurisdiction of Hagerstown Community College police officers beyond campus property in specified circumstances within Washington County. The practical effect is to give the college police force limited countywide enforcement authority for pursuit, traffic control, and emergency deployment, while expressly preserving the jurisdiction of the sheriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies. The bill would take effect July 1, 2025.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears narrowly tailored and administrative in nature, aimed at clarifying and modestly expanding campus police authority rather than making a broad public safety policy change.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the expansion of a campus police force’s authority off campus and into the broader county, even though the bill limits that authority to specific circumstances. Any concern would likely come from questions about overlap with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies, or about whether college police should have countywide powers at all. The bill attempts to address that concern by explicitly stating that it does not supersede or limit other agencies’ jurisdiction.