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Oregon State Trustees Vote To Create Campus Police Force

Oregon State University

The Oregon State University Board of Trustees voted Friday to create a campus police force.

The new officers would replace Oregon State Police troopers. The school’s contract with the state police ends in June. The decision comes after months of campus discussions following the controversial arrest last fall of an OSU student of color.

Oregon State President Ed Ray said the new arrangement would provide more accountability.

“As long as it’s not our police force, they don’t report to us," said Ray. "And so when we see a problem, we have very little ability to get people to function the way we expect them to function as part of our community.”

The OSU police force would be armed, just like the state troopers that now patrol the campus. The trustees were in favor of the plan, but some expressed doubt that an entire force could be hired and trained by the beginning of July.

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
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