Deseret News
Share this story
Steve Griffin, Deseret News
PROVO The Utah Department of Public Safety announced Tuesday that it will not appeal a recent ruling that allows BYU to keep its police department.
Commissioner Jess Anderson on Tuesday sent a letter to Chris Autry, the managing director of the Brigham Young University Police Department, stating, “I have chosen not to pursue an appeal of Judge Catten’s order on your motion for summary judgment.
“The decision to decertify BYUPD was difficult and weighed heavily on me, but I was left with no alternative, given the evolution of choices made by BYUPD. I respect the decision made by Judge Catten, his time invested into legal research and analysis, and his decision identifying a lack of statutory clarity and guidance under these circumstances,” Anderson wrote.
Judge won t decertify BYU PD over Honor Code investigations
KSTU
and last updated 2021-01-06 00:23:28-05
SALT LAKE CITY â An administrative law judge has decided against decertifying Brigham Young University s police force.
In an order issued Tuesday night, Administrative Law Judge Richard Catten granted BYU s request to dismiss the case, but also sided in part with Utah s Department of Public Safety,
The judge essentially declared that while DPS wanted The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints private university to act like other police forces â the law at the time didn t necessarily require them to. At the center of the case are accusations that a BYU PD lieutenant improperly accessed law enforcement databases and reported students to the private university s Honor Code Office. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns BYU, requires students to adhere to a set of standards including no premarital sex, no drinking or drug use. Students can be