The number of police officers patrolling neighborhoods surrounding Cal Poly will increase in the coming months under a new agreement between the City of San Luis Obispo and the University.
City leaders are granting expanded authority to the University Police Department to enforce city laws within a one mile radius of the campus perimeter. The memorandum of understanding will allow officers on the university's force to issue citations for city code violations, including those related to alcohol and noise.
Mayor Jan Marx said she sees no downside to the agreement.
"It's a new program so we'll have to evaluate it as it goes forward," said Marx. "But, the Cal Poly officers will be given additional training by our police force so that the conduct that they show toward the students is consistent with what our regular police officers would be doing."
Mayor Marx also said there is no financial impact to the city. She said the cooperation shows the University is on the same side as the city when it comes to how students living in these neighborhoods are expected to behave.