Powers and duties of police officers; immunity of educational institution police officer, offices, and boards
Ind. Code § 21-17-5-4
in effectSec. 4. (a) Police officers appointed under this chapter have the following powers:
(1) General police powers, including the power to arrest, without process, all persons who commit any offense within the view of the officer.
(2) The same common law and statutory powers, privileges, and immunities, including the protections and immunities in IC 34-13-3, as state police officers, sheriffs, and constables. However, the police officers are empowered to serve civil process only to the extent authorized by the employing governing board.
(3) The duty to enforce and to assist the officials of the educational institutions in the enforcement of the rules and regulations of the educational institution.
(4) The duty to assist and cooperate with other law enforcement agencies and law enforcement officers.
(b) The governing board of an educational institution employing a police officer may expressly forbid the officer from exercising any powers otherwise granted to the police officer by law.
(c) If an educational institution, governing board of an educational institution, delegated office or offices of a governing board of an educational institution, or individual employed by the educational institution as a police officer acts in accordance with this chapter or engages in activities related to law enforcement:
(1) the educational institution, the governing board of an educational institution, and the delegated office or offices of the governing board of an educational institution have the same common law and statutory immunities granted to the state; and
(2) an individual employed by the educational institution as a police officer has the same common law and statutory immunities granted to a state police officer;
including the protections and immunities in IC 34-13-3.
(d) A record of an educational institution's police department is a public record subject to IC 5-14-3, if the record meets the requirements of IC 5-14-3-2.2.
[Pre-2007 Higher Education Recodification Citation: 20-12-3.5-2 part.]
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.258. Amended by P.L.217-2016, SEC.5.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/21Fetched: 10/17/2026