WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-School officers to get more police powers?

School officers to get more police powers?

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - The Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) security staff is one of the smallest sworn units in Mecklenburg County.  Sixteen officers make up the department, but a move is underway to give its officers greater reach and broader powers.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Harold Cogdell and his colleagues will likely vote on Tuesday to give CMS officers county-wide arrest powers.

"It clearly expands the authority of CMS law enforcement to be able to investigate to make arrest outside that close proximity jurisdicition that they have," he said.

As it stands, the officers can only carry out certain functions near local places of learning.

One of those pushing for more greater arrest powers is the department's director, Bud Cessena.  In recent months, he told us that many schools face its share of safety issues.

He says school resource officers deal with situations concerning drugs, assault and sexual offenses.

Making local schools safer by enhancing the functions of officers doesn't entirely fall on the shoulders of the county commission.  The North Carolina legislature has the final say and the bill is getting support.

State Senator Malcolm Graham is among those backing the measure seeing it as a safety improvement.

"It gives them the ability to police off campus, when there are incidents involving Charlotte Mecklenburg students," Graham said. "Certainly there not going out there making arrest, but it gives them similar powers like the sheriff's department."