How to Start a School Police Department

How to establish a new police department at a school

• 1). Research your legal ability to establish a new police department.
  
  In some jurisdictions or countries, policing powers are controlled by the national government, and local agencies are not permitted to establish their own police departments. Even if your jurisdiction permits the establishment of new departments, your school may be the legal responsibility of another police agency due to laws or previous agreements. A decision may require approval from different levels of government. You must make an initial legal survey of your particular situation to determine if you are in a position to start a new department.
  
  
• 2). Determine your ability to house and finance the new department.
  
  Police departments require physical space for facilities, equipment storage, officer desks, communications management, and other tasks. This may be both more expansive and more expensive than you expect. If your school is limited in size, you will need to reserve sufficient space for the new police department, or locate it off-site. You must ensure that you have sufficient room in the school's budget to finance the full spectrum of expenses that a new police department will generate.
  
  
• 3). Develop a plan to finance pension, salary, and liability expenses.
  
  A new police department will likely cost more money to operate over time due to salary increases, pension expenses, and potential settlement costs arising out of use-of-force incidents. These future costs will need to be built into your school's future budgets, and you may need to establish a separate endowment or financing system for police department operations.
  
  
• 4). Research external funding possibilities.
  
  It may be possible to offset some of the costs of a new police department through grants or programs provided by other agencies or levels of government. Search for policing grant programs which may apply to your school.
  
  
• 5). Develop a plan to recruit, certify, and hire officers for the new department.
  
  A new department will need to hire enough competent, certified officers to staff its operations. Depending on the location of the school, this may require recruiting efforts that extend well beyond your immediate geographic region. These recruiting expenses should be built into your budget for the new department.