A police force is being proposed to patrol Northeastern University’s East Oakland campus and surrounding neighborhood.
Northeastern acquired Mills College two years ago and added to its dozen campuses worldwide.
Earlier this week, the university’s director of global site security announced a 20-member police force for the East Oakland campus, according to The Oaklandside.
Retired Oakland Police Department captain Clay Burch was hired by Northeastern in 2023. He said the proposed force would have all the powers of a normal police force, including the ability to carry firearms and make arrests.
Patrols for the force would include not only the school campus, but also adjoining East Oakland neighborhoods.
The city’s Department of Transportation said the police force would have an annual cost of about 20 million dollars, which would be completely funded by Northeastern.
Oakland’s City Attorney said, last month, that the city is unable to find a legal pathway to give approval and move ahead with the plan. The city is currently reviewing the proposal.
