(a) The governing board of a community college district may establish a community college police department under the supervision of a community college chief of police and, in accordance with Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 88000) of Part 51, may employ personnel as necessary to enforce the law on or near the campus of the community college and on or near other grounds or properties owned, operated, controlled, or administered by the community college or by the state acting on behalf of the community college. Each campus of a multicampus community college district may designate a chief of police.

(b) The governing board of a community college district that establishes a community college police department under subdivision (a) may also establish a police reserve officer program to supplement that police department.

(c) Persons employed and compensated as members of a community college police department, when so appointed and duly sworn, are peace officers as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code.

(d) The governing board of a community college district that establishes a community college police department shall set minimum qualifications of employment for the community college chief of police, including, but not limited to, prior employment as a peace officer or completion of any peace officer training course approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. A chief of security or chief of police shall be required to comply with the prior employment or training requirement set forth in this subdivision as of January 1, 1993, or a date one year subsequent to the initial employment of the chief of security or chief of police by the community college district, whichever occurs later. This subdivision may not be construed to require the employment by a community college district of any additional personnel.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 292, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2004.)