Senate Bill 621 Takes Away Arrest Power in Pennsylvania

Senate Bill 621 Takes Away Arrest Power in Pennsylvania

Senate Bill 621 was clarified in early July, but one of the unintended consequences that came with it was the restriction of arrest powers for both officers who are directly employed by schools and officers who work through third-party vendors.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • August 16, 2019

In early July, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation that clarified who was allowed to be armed on Pennsylvania campuses, and who school districts are allowed to hire as security. Now, about a month later, some law enforcement officers are upset by the legislation and one of the unintended consequences it came with – taking away arrest powers.

Since Senate Bill 621 covers both law enforcement security officers who are directly employed by schools and officers who work through third-party vendors, lawmakers were hesitant to give these third-party vendors arrest powers. Legislative Director Erin Marsicano said that the main concern is accountability and was initially raised by the Fraternal Order of Police. However, since the bill oversees both types of security officers, it takes away arrest power from both third-party vendor officers and officers employed by a school directly.

This upcoming year, officers will be able to petition for the ability to carry firearms and to detain people and issue summary citations, but they will not be granted arrest powers.

Marsicano said because of the outrage over the change, senators are working on updating the law to return arrest power in certain cases.

"We recognize the need to do this for the School Police Officers while recognizing the concern raised about third-party vendor employees having police powers," she added.

Although it is unclear what the solution will be, it will be made clearer when the Senate returns to session in the fall.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Door Hardware and Campus Security: Enhancing Safety in Schools

    The importance of investing in school safety cannot be overstated, but knowing where to start implementation of school safety features can be a challenge. A recent survey by the National Center on Education Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. public schools have classrooms with doors that can't be locked from the inside. Even among schools with doors that do lock, recent legislation reflects a common misconception that simply keeping the doors locked all day will eliminate the potential for an attack, in direct violation of PASS (Partner Alliance for Safer Schools) Guidelines. Read Now

  • Brigham Young University Strengthens Campus Security With Genetec Operations Center

    Genetec Inc, a provider of enterprise physical security software, announced that Brigham Young University's (BYU) has optimized its security operations with the Genetec™ Operations Center work management system. Read Now

  • AI-based Risk Mitigation: The Next Advancement in Video Surveillance and Public Safety

    Safety is at the forefront of every organization and covers a gamut of scenarios, not just weapon-fueled lethal threats. It also includes smaller-scale and everyday situations like slipping hazards, fallen persons, unauthorized vehicles, and more. These issues cause disruptions in daily operations and cost companies and facilities money and downtime, so a fully realized security plan must involve actions that facility personnel should take once a hazard of any size occurs. Informing everyone that a hazard exists, where it’s located, and what actions to take is imperative for maintaining personal safety. Read Now

  • Fort Worth ISD Strengthens Event Safety

    The issue of concealed weapons being introduced into school extracurricular activities, including sporting events and graduations, became a growing concern in communities across the nation. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols. Read Now

Most   Popular