For the most part, a city or town's police authority is accompanied by public accountability.
New York City police officers can carry guns and make arrests--but its commissioners and inspectors, sergeants and officers are under constant scrutiny.
The media and interest groups can play a watchdog role by questioning police about material within their reports. And voters can decide whether they like the mayor's choice of a police commissioner. There are police review boards in almost every major city.
The buck stops there.
HUPD acknowledges it is different--but claims there are more than enough legal and procedural safeguards in place to ensure the force does most of its work on-campus, where it acts as the security force of a private institution.
"The bottom line is that I want the University police department to police for the University," Riley says.