That’s the argument made by criminal justice professors John Paul Wright and Kevin M. Beaver in this Chronicle of Higher Education article, and it’s a pretty convincing one.

Campus police departments are under the sway of often highly politicized university administrations, campus cops often enforce “not laws but campus-specific policies” which encroach on free speech, and there are problems with over-and under-policing.

“[Colleges] have created a dual system of justice, designed not by a legislature but by unelected administrators who are not accountable to the public. This system of justice, separate and unequal, leads to a highly disparate and sometimes discriminatory treatment of individuals,” say Wright and Beaver.

I’m reminded of a recent article on Campus Reform discussing the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s efforts to turn students into confidential informants for purposes of combating drug use. This kind of activity seems wholly out of bounds for a campus police department. Then of course there are the often-publicized instances of rape and sexual assault at campuses across the country, some of which have tarnished the records of innocent individuals. And why are some campus police departments now being armed with military weaponry?

The escalation, politicization, and misconduct of such police units is problematic, to say the least. Kudos to Wright and Beaver for offering a sensible solution to the problem: “divest” colleges of their “criminal justice obligations,” and instead encourage them to focus on safety and security.