The Virginian-Pilot
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RICHMOND
A Senate committee Thursday endorsed a bill to enhance cooperation between campus and local police departments on rape and death investigations.
Legislation from Sen. Janet Howell calls on college police to enter mutual aid agreements with a surrounding law enforcement agency or Virginia State Police covering those incidents when they occur on campus.
The bill from Howell, D-Fairfax County, reflects a compromise reached in December at the Virginia State Crime Commission. It cleared the Senate Education and Health Committee on Thursday.
The commission examined the issue after former Del. Paula Miller, D-Norfolk, offered a bill last year to give local authorities the lead in sexual assault and unattended death investigations on college campuses.
Campus police officials resisted efforts to make them relinquish those investigations, and the Crime Commission deadlocked on a proposal to require mandatory notification by partnering authorities.
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Key is at the end
Universities' desire to keep intruders out of their ivory towers.
That said, police are only a part of the equation; if there's violations of the Code of Virginia occurring on campus, the localities' Commonwealth's Attorneys still have jurisdiction.
Prosecute these precious snowflakes to the fullest extent of the law; they're all adults.