(1) The district school board of any school district may establish a law enforcement agency and employ such personnel as may be necessary to ensure the safety of school district personnel and students upon and in the vicinity of school district premises and the security of the real and personal property owned, controlled or used by or on behalf of the school district.

(2) Persons employed and compensated as members of a law enforcement agency of a school district, when appointed and duly sworn, are peace officers as defined in ORS § 161.015 (4), but only for the purpose of carrying out the duties of their employment. They are not police officers within the meaning of ORS § 243.736.

(3) The district school board may:

(a) Provide for uniforms, badges and other identification of members of the law enforcement agency;

(b) Withdraw or withhold from any person employed as a member of the law enforcement agency any part or all of the powers otherwise conferred by law upon peace officers; and

(c) Define the duties of persons employed as members of the law enforcement agency and assign additional duties to those persons as the district school board may deem appropriate.

(4) Between meetings of the district school board, the district superintendent or the deputy of the superintendent shall have power to suspend any person employed as a member of the law enforcement agency pending review of the action as soon as practicable by the district school board. [1975 c.666 § 2; 1989 c.606 § 2; 1993 c.45 § 57; 2021 c.97 § 28]