CUNY peace officers will no longer have to wait on the NYPD to deputize them, thanks to a new state law that allows the City University of New York to deputize its own peace officers, simplifying a process that was both time-consuming and frustrating for everyone involved.

Senator John J. Marchi and Assemblyman Michael J. Cusick sponsored the new law, which passed both houses of the State Legislature in August.

CUNY campus police are required to renew their peace officer status every two years. Currently, CUNY’s Public Safety Department obtains peace officer designation for its personnel through the New York Police Department. However, the process often takes a long time and many officers have had to endure a long wait for the processing of their peace officer designation. This delay can affect their ability to carry out their duties.

CUNY, which has already developed an extensive supervision structure, procedural guidelines and training programs that exceed the requirements of the NYPD, joined forces with the union to seek state approval to deputize its own peace officers instead of going through the Police Commissioner.

“This is good news for our CUNY officers,” said Local 237 President Carl Haynes. “Their job is tough enough without the added stress of them worrying about their peace officer designation. This new law will make it easier for us to seek a similar arrangement for our other members, such us our Taxi and Limousine inspectors, who also face long delays in securing their peace officer status through the current process.”

CUNY campus peace officers receive their designation after completing 40 hours of law training and training of issues unique to campus peace officers.