(a) There are established special police forces for The University of Connecticut at Storrs and its several campuses, including, but not limited to, The University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, and for Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. Subject to the approval of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, there are established special police forces for Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, Capital Community College in Hartford, Gateway Community College in New Haven, Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, Manchester Community College in Manchester, Middlesex Community College in Middletown, Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted, Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, and Tunxis Community College in Farmington. The members of each special police force shall have the same duties, responsibilities and authority under sections 7-281, 14-8, 54-1f and 54-33a and title 53a as members of a duly organized local police department. The jurisdiction of said special police forces shall extend to the geographical limits of the property owned or under the control of the above institutions, and to property occupied by The University of Connecticut in the town of Mansfield, except as provided in subsection (b) of section 7-277a.

(b) Members of the special police forces shall continue to be state employees and shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 67, and parts II and III of this chapter. The provisions of part V of chapter 104 and section 7-433c shall not apply to such members.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, positions in the special police forces for The University of Connecticut at Storrs and its several campuses and The University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington shall be unclassified in state service and shall not be subject to the provisions of section 5-206, section 5-208 and subsection (b) of section 5-200a. The positions held by such special police forces shall be within the bargaining unit that represents protective services employees and shall not be severed.

(d) The president of The University of Connecticut shall establish classifications for the special police forces positions for The University of Connecticut at Storrs and its several campuses, including The University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, using objective job-related criteria, including, but not limited to: (1) Knowledge and skill required to carry out the duties of each position, (2) mental and physical effort required to carry out the duties of each position, and (3) the level of accountability assigned to each position. The president shall establish and administer all necessary examinations for such special police forces.

(e) The special police force for any institution listed in subsection (a) of this section shall have access to, and use of, the Connecticut on-line law enforcement communications teleprocessing system without charge.

(f) The chief executive officer of any institution listed in subsection (a) of this section which maintains a special police force may enter into an agreement with one or more of said other institutions which maintain a special police force to furnish or receive police assistance under the same conditions and terms specified in subsection (a) of section 7-277a.

(g) The state shall protect and save harmless any member of the special police force for any institution listed in subsection (a) of this section from financial loss and expense, including reasonable legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of any claim, demand, suit or judgment by reason of the alleged deprivation by such member of any person's civil rights, which deprivation was not wanton, reckless or malicious, provided such member, at the time of such acts resulting in such alleged deprivation, was acting in the discharge of such member's duties or within the scope of such member's employment or under the direction of a superior officer.

(h) Reasonable legal fees and costs incurred as a result of the retention, by any member of the special police force for any institution listed in subsection (a) of this section, of an attorney to represent such member's interests in any action referred to in subsection (g) of this section shall be borne by the state in those cases in which (1) such member is ultimately found not to have acted in a wanton, reckless or malicious manner, or (2) no punitive damages are ultimately assessed against such member.

(1972, P.A. 119, S. 1; P.A. 76-178, S. 1, 2; P.A. 79-350, S. 2; P.A. 82-391, S. 5, 6; P.A. 83-466, S. 2; P.A. 84-255, S. 16, 21; P.A. 89-376, S. 1; P.A. 91-256, S. 33, 69; P.A. 92-154, S. 12, 23; P.A. 96-66; P.A. 11-70, S. 10; P.A. 13-3, S. 93; 13-195, S. 1; 13-247, S. 63; P.A. 14-217, S. 221; P.A. 16-154, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 76-178 extended provisions to include Central, Southern, Eastern and Western Connecticut State Colleges and included reference to Ch. 164, Part VII in Subsec. (b); P.A. 79-350 included University of Connecticut Health Center at Farmington in Subsec. (a); P.A. 82-391 revised college names to reflect change to university status pursuant to reorganization of higher education system, effective March 1, 1983; Sec. 10-144c transferred to Sec. 10a-142 in 1983; P.A. 83-466 added exception re Subsec. (b) of Sec. 7-277a; P.A. 84-255 amended Subsec. (a) clarifying that the police force covers the branches of The University of Connecticut; P.A. 89-376 added Subsec. (c), allowing special police force to have free use of COLLECT system; P.A. 91-256 in Subsec. (a) extended the jurisdiction to property occupied by The University of Connecticut in the town of Mansfield and added Subsec. (d) concerning the purchase of public safety and emergency vehicles and equipment; P.A. 92-154 deleted Subsec. (d) concerning the purchase of public safety and emergency vehicles and equipment; P.A. 96-66 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c) and added Subsec. (d) allowing mutual aid agreements among institutions for police assistance; (Revisor's note: In 2003 a reference in Subsec. (b) to “chapter 185b” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “this chapter”); P.A. 11-70 replaced “branches” with “campuses” in Subsec. (a); P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (b) to add exception re Subsec. (e) and added Subsec. (e) re determination of preliminary requirements for members and timeline for filling vacancies, effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 13-195 added Subsec. (e) re state to protect and save members harmless and added Subsec. (f) re legal fees and costs, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-247 amended Subsec. (b) to delete exception re Subsec. (e) and deleted former Subsec. (e) re preliminary requirements for members and timeline for filling vacancies, effective July 1, 2013; Sec. 10a-142 transferred to Sec. 10a-156b in 2014; P.A. 14-217 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b), added new Subsec. (c) re unclassified positions for The University of Connecticut and The University of Connecticut Health Center, added new Subsec. (d) re president of The University of Connecticut establishing classifications for positions, and redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (f) as Subsecs. (e) to (h) and made technical changes in same, effective June 13, 2014; P.A. 16-154 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re establishment of special police forces for regional community-technical colleges and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2016.