H 8293Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure - Arrest

This bill allows private college security guards to detain suspected criminals on campus for up to 30 minutes pending police arrival.

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Introduced Mar 13, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation grants authority to security guards and public safety officers at private colleges and universities in Rhode Island to detain individuals under specific circumstances. If a guard has reasonable grounds to believe a person has committed a crime within their jurisdiction, they may detain that person without a warrant. The bill mandates that the guard must immediately contact local or state police. The detention cannot exceed 30 minutes while waiting for police arrival. Furthermore, the bill requires these security personnel to be trained in the use of restraint devices and to follow established use-of-force policies.

For younger readers

This new rule helps keep college campuses safe. It says that security guards at private colleges are allowed to stop and hold a person if the guard thinks that person broke the law at the school. The guard can only hold the person for a short time, no more than 30 minutes. While they are holding the person, the guard must call the real police to come right away. Also, the guards have to take special classes to learn how to hold people safely and follow strict rules about how to treat them.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Private college studentsUniversity faculty and staffPrivate security officersCollege administratorsCampus visitors

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Yes. Delegating the power of detention (seizure) to private, non-sworn actors without a warrant raises Fourth Amendment concerns. While "shopkeeper's privilege" allows limited detention for theft, extending this to "any criminal offense" based on "reasonable grounds" could be challenged as an unreasonable seizure or a deprivation of liberty without due process, particularly if the "reasonable grounds" standard is applied loosely by non-state actors.

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Mandates that private security personnel receive specific training in restraint devices and adhere to recognized use-of-force policies, potentially reducing the risk of excessive physical harm during confrontations.
Establishes a strict thirty-minute time limit on detentions, preventing the indefinite holding of individuals by private entities and ensuring that actual law enforcement intervenes quickly.
Requires immediate contact with state or local police, ensuring that private security actions are quickly subjected to public law enforcement oversight rather than operating entirely independently.
Expands police-like powers (detention) to non-sworn private employees, blurring the distinction between public law enforcement and private security which lacks the same level of public accountability.
Grants broad authority to detain based on "reasonable grounds," which creates significant risks for racial profiling and the disproportionate targeting of marginalized groups on college campuses.
Increases the likelihood of physical confrontations and the use of force by individuals who do not possess the comprehensive training and certification of sworn police officers.

For Conservatives

Empowers private institutions to actively protect their property and students by allowing immediate action against criminal activity without having to wait for municipal police response.
Enhances law and order on university campuses by closing the time gap between the commission of a crime and the arrival of law enforcement, ensuring suspects are secured and cannot flee.
Recognizes the autonomy of private organizations to manage security within their own jurisdictions, reducing the immediate burden on taxpayer-funded police resources to contain threats.
Infringes upon personal liberty by granting the power of warrantless detention to non-sworn private citizens, potentially violating due process rights and constitutional protections against unreasonable seizure.
Creates significant liability risks for private institutions and potential legal entanglements if security guards improperly detain individuals or use excessive force based on subjective judgment.
Allows for detention based on "reasonable grounds" rather than probable cause by non-police, which could lead to abuse of power and disrespect for the rule of law regarding citizens' rights.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 20 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 12-7 of the General Laws entitled "Arrest" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 12-7-1.1. Detention by university or college security.

(a) The governing board of any private state-charted institution of higher education which maintains a campus or other real property for educational purposes may establish a security, public safety office, or similar department, which employs or contracts with special police officers, public safety officers, security personnel or similar individuals. The appointment of special police officers, and the powers granted to those individuals shall be governed by chapter 2.1 of title 12. If so appointed by an institution, other duly trained members of such a department, including non-sworn public safety officers and security guards may, without a warrant, detain any person for any criminal offense, whenever the public safety officer or security guard has reasonable grounds to believe that an offense has been committed within the jurisdiction of that public safety officer or security guard and the officer or guard has reason to believe that the person being detained, is responsible for the commission of said criminal offense.

(b) Any public safety officer or security guard that detains any individual for the suspected commission of a criminal offense shall immediately request assistance from either the state police or the local police department having jurisdiction over the private college or university and shall not detain any person beyond a reasonable period of not greater than thirty (30) minutes, while waiting for state or local police assistance.

(c) All public safety officers and security guards employed by any private college or university subject to this section shall be trained in the proper use of restraint devices and shall abide by locally or nationally recognized use of force policies.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.