PROVO, Utah — Brigham Young University announced Thursday it is forming the BYU Security Department, which will operate separate from and alongside the BYU Police Department.
The Security Department will oversee on-campus security for buildings and campus properties, and it will also be responsible for campus parking.
However, the new department will not handle Honor Code issues.
The Security Department does not have law enforcement authority and is therefore not subject to GRAMA, unlike the police force, according to a BYU spokesperson.
Ten full-time employees will oversee 300 student employees, who will have specialized safety training but will not have the authority to make arrests.
The spokesperson also explained the 10 full-time supervisors will be armed but the student security personnel will not carry firearms or Tasers.
The university's police department employs 17 full-time officers and 10 part-time officers, all of whom are POST-certified.
Former BYU Police Chief Chris Autry will oversee both departments, but will not exercise law enforcement authority in the position, a news release from the university said.
When asked why the new Department was being announced now, the response from the university was:
"BYU has long had both police and security personnel, and this new structure ensures that BYU does not use law enforcement authority in its security operations."
