ASU Police Officers' Legal Authority and Jurisdiction

Law Enforcement Authority

The Arizona Board of Regents and the president of ASU are empowered to organize, provide for and operate a police department for ASU
(ARS 1-215).

ASU Police Officers are state certified, and have the same powers as any police officer in the State of Arizona. All police officers in the State of Arizona, including ASU police officers, have the authority to enforce state and federal laws within limits imposed by the state and federal constitutions and judicial rulings.

Law Enforcement Jurisdiction

The ASU Police Department is responsible for, and has agency jurisdiction for, law enforcement matters occurring on property under the control of the Arizona Board of Regents at several ASU campus locations, including Tempe, Polytechnic and West. The ASU Police Department has primary jurisdictional responsibility for property within the ASU core boundaries located in the City of Tempe and for ASU properties outside the core boundaries.

Through mutual aid agreements with the City of Tempe, and because city streets run through or are contiguous with ASU properties, officers of the ASU Police Department give the appropriate secondary attention to traffic control and enforcement on those streets. The authority of officers of the ASU Police Department may extend to any place within the state under State law.