Provided 6-17-16
1516 RTKL 0181

PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Office of School Safety
SUBJECT:

Directive #5

LEGAL AUTHORITY

1. Authority of School Police
Under the Pa. School Code, 24 P.S. §7-778, of 1949, amended as part of Act
30 of 1997:
(a) Any school district may apply to any judge of the Court of'
Common Pleas of the county within which the school district is
situated to appoint such person or persons as the Board of
Directors of the School District may designate to act as school
police officer for said School District. The judge, upon such
application may appoint such person, or so many of them as he
may deem proper, to be such school police officer and shall note
the fact of such appointment to be entered upon the records of the
court.
(b) Every policeman so appointed shall, before entering upon the
duties of his office, take and subscribe to the oath required by
the seventh article of the Constitution, before an alderman or
Justice of the Peace or prothonotary. Such oath shall be filed by
the Justice of the Peace, Alderman, or Prothonotary among his
papers, and a note made upon his docket of the fact of the oath
having been taken.
(c) Such school police officer so appointed shall severally possess
and exercise all the following powers and duties:
(1)

(2)

To enforce the good order in school buildings, on
school buses and on school grounds in their respective
school districts. For purposes of this paragraph, the term
"school bus" shall include vehicles leased by the school
district to transport students and vehicles of mass transit
used by students to go to and from school when the
school police officer is responding to a report of an
incident involving a breach of good order or violation
of law.
To detain individuals until local law enforcement is
notified.

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 (d) Such school police officer shall, when on duty severally wear a
metallic shield or badge with the words "School Police," and
the name of the district for which appointed. Such shield shall
always be worn in plain view when on duty except when
employed as detective.
(e) The compensation of such school police officers shall be paid
by the school district for which the school police officers are
respectively appointed, as may be agreed upon between the
board of school directors and the school police officer.
(f) When acting within the scope of this section, school police
officers shall, at all times, be employees of the school district
and shall be entitled to all of the rights and benefits accruing
there from.
(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude a school
district from employing other security personnel, as the school
district deems necessary.

Further, 24 PS. §13-1341, as amended on 11/17/95, extends to school police
officer the same police powers granted to truancy officers, which includes the
power to:
Apprehend any child who fails to attend school in compliance
with the provisions of this act, or who is incorrigible,
insubordinate, or disorderly during attendance in school or on
his way to or from school.

Totally apart from a school officer's law enforcement powers is a disciplinary
authority over students which is derivative from the authority given to
teachers, principals and vice principals, by the provisions of 24 P.S. § 131317. Therefore, a school officer may assist a principal or teacher in
maintaining custody and control over a student accused of a crime not
observed by the officer until police arrive to investigate and/or arrest. The role
of school police officers in the investigation and resolution of student
violations is subject to the policies and procedures established by the Board
and superintendent (see Board Policy, and School Operations Manuals).

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 The previously cited statutory provisions dealing with the authority and duties of
school police officers do not provide for the carrying of deadly weapons, nor do
they create a duty upon these officers concomitant with a municipal police officer
in terms of the scope of their jurisdiction. Further, School District policy, while
not precluding reasonable self defense, cannot and should not be read to sanction
the use of deadly force. Where the prospect of such violence is anticipatable,
school police should summon the Philadelphia Police.

03-15-04
Revised 07-12-06
JUNE 2015

BY ORDER OF THE CHIEF SAFETY EXECUTIVE
OFFICE of SCHOOL SAFETY
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