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Comment by mensetmanusman | Hacker News Reader

They are a security force, not technically police.

That's not how it works in the US. An entity can set up its own police department if it meets the administrative criteria, including arguably private entities - some churches have their own cops. Essentially if you commit to investing the resources and procure the agreement of local stakeholders you can buy arrest/enforcement rights for your institution/private concern. Naturally I'm oversimplifying but you can learn more in this helpful Department of Justice publication:

https://cops.usdoj.gov/ric/Publications/cops-p109-pub.pdf

UCSF (and its numerous outlier campuses) has its own police force, for example.

Most colleges and universities have their own police forces, even my local community college.

Also rail lines. Both being well monied institutions of great importance and given special legal carve outs since their inception long ago in North America. Feels like a historical legal anachronism is being abused when they have such exceptional power compared to other enterprises in today's day and age.

Public transit systems often have their own police force because they cross many jurisdictions. In my area, the public transit system includes boats, busses, subways, trolleys, and heavy rail...normal cops aren't trained in how to operate in/on those systems, which can easily be lethal in a lot of ways.

The system crosses at least half a dozen counties, two states, and has a diameter of over 70 miles.

Stop making everything into some corporate-fascism nonsense.

This text is in the bill in Georgia that they referenced:

> provide for P.O.S.T. certified peace officers employed by hospitals to serve as hospital peace 7 officers; to provide for law enforcement authority of hospital peace officers on hospital 8 campuses;

AFAIK that is gummint for Police Officer. Who else has law enforcement authority?

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/64341

> And hospitals can now establish law enforcement offices like those on university campuses. The officers must be certified by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and maintain law enforcement records that can be made public.

They’re certified Peace Officers who have the power to make arrests and enforce warrants… entering people into the criminal justice system. Typically a security officer would detain someone one then call “real police” to make a judgement call.

If there’s an important distinction between what this article describes and police I’m missing it.

What's the difference?

> lawmakers in 29 states have approved or are working on either similar laws or ones that allow for the creation of hospital police forces. Members of those forces can carry firearms and make arrests. In addition, they have higher training requirements than noncertified officers such as security guards,

Do you consider railroad police or postal police and other such federal, state and municipal police (or private company police forces like railroad police that can make arrests etc) not "police"?

After you’ve committed a crime, if they can legally deprive you of your freedom and exert the state’s monopoly on violence against you, they are police.

That rule would make every adult in the 50 states and DC (*exceptions may apply in North Carolina only) police.

The state has a monopoly on violence but it does not restrict the use of its monopoly to police; it graciously allows anyone to advance the state's interests. A better definition of police probably requires mentioning immunization from the consequences of exercising that violence.

No, they are technically police. You don't need much to create a police force in the US; it's not federally controlled, the rules are whatever the state or locality legislates.

Apparently many are deputized. According to the article, many can make arrests.

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