OCEANSIDE - The long arm of the law at MiraCosta College just got a little longer with a new policy that gives campus officers more leeway in stopping off-campus motorists suspected of on-campus violations.

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The new policy, put in place about two weeks ago, expands the MiraCosta Police Department's jurisdiction to one mile beyond the boundaries of all three campuses, MiraCosta police Chief Robert Norcross said Tuesday.

The old policy limited MiraCosta's reach to 1/10 of a mile beyond the boundaries of the main Oceanside campus north of Highway 78, as well as the Community Learning Center on Mission Avenue, and the San Elijo campus in Encinitas.

That old policy hampered the ability of officers to ticket violators, said MiraCosta police Cpl. Robert Sanchez during a campus ride-along last week. Sanchez cited on-campus traffic violations as a example.

"You observe a violation on the college, and by the time you get to (the suspect) through traffic, you'll end up doing a traffic stop out here," said Sanchez, as he drove his patrol car along Rancho del Oro Road, west of the college property.

With permission from a supervisor, campus officers can go beyond the 1-mile limit, Norcross said.

MiraCosta's new policy does not change the way the Oceanside Police Department operates, said police Chief Frank McCoy. City officers regularly patrol the neighborhoods surrounding the campus and will continue to do so, he said.

The college's sworn officers, who undergo the same basic training as city officers, are employed by the state and may enforce laws anywhere within the state when life or property is in immediate danger, Norcross said. However, the primary job of MiraCosta officers is to protect people and property on the campus, he said.

"We are not out there patrolling the neighborhoods," Norcross said.

Theft, burglary and traffic violations make up the bulk of offenses that campus officers face, Sanchez said.

MiraCosta's police force sometimes works in tandem with city police, he said. Both agencies back up officers on calls in and around the campus.

"We're allied agencies working side by side to serve our communities," Sanchez said. "Our college is in the city of Oceanside, so instead of being a drain on (city) resources (by) having them respond to the college and handle crimes, we can handle them and actually provide resources if they have a major incident and need additional officers."

McCoy agreed.

"We cooperate with MiraCosta just like we do with other agencies," McCoy said. "We help each other the best we can."

Police officers at Cal State San Marcos operate similarly, said Chief Ronald Hackenberg. They focus on protecting the campus community, but can go off campus to enforce the law.

Campus officers regularly back up San Diego County sheriff's deputies in the areas just off the campus, Hackenberg said.

- Contact staff writer Philip K. Ireland at (760) 901-4043 or pireland@nctimes.com.