Council Debates UNC Police Jurisdiction

The council moved to have the issue addressed at a later meeting when the public would be allowed to make comments on the issue.

The proposed agreement between the town of Chapel Hill and UNC would extend the jurisdiction of the University police into off-campus areas of the town under specific circumstances.

The jurisdiction would only be extended for those crimes that occur on campus.

If a crime is committed on campus, University police currently only can pursue a suspect beyond UNC boundaries during the suspect's immediate flight.

The agreement would remove jurisdictional limitations that have restricted the UNC officers' ability to investigate on-campus offenses involving suspects or witnesses living off campus.

Currently campus officers have to be accompanied by a Chapel Hill officer if they are going to be conducting questioning or follow-up investigations off campus.

Chapel Hill Police Chief Gregg Jarvies said he is in support of extending jurisdictional limits.

"It just does not make sense that the campus police cannot go to a house just off campus to investigate or pursue a crime committed on campus."

But Town Council members Mark Kleinschmidt and Bill Strom both raised concerns regarding the extension of another police force's jurisdiction into the town of Chapel Hill.

"I am hesitant allowing a foreign police department to investigate activities and citizens without getting community input," Kleinschmidt said.

Strom agreed that this is an issue that requires more public comment and scrutiny before a decision is finalized. Both members expressed concerns over the campus police overextending themselves into activities reserved for the Chapel Hill police such as setting up speed traps, pulling vehicles over and patrolling neighborhoods.

University Police Chief Derek Poarch and Jarvies said they see this agreement as another step in an already quality partnership between the two departments.

"We have always had excellent cooperation with the Chapel Hill Police Department," Poarch said. "That is why this has been such an easy process. We are all in agreement that this is in everyone's best interests.

"It is just a no-brainer that we are given the authority to investigate crimes that occur on campus. Our borders must be bigger, and this is the right step."

Jarvies said the agreement will make both departments run a little bit smoother and save time for all involved. "This just makes sense," he said. "It is a matter of convenience, that their hands are not tied and our time is not used up."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.