So IMHO, they're worse than regular cops. They're bored out of their minds - and have real guns. They so desperately want some crime to deal with, but there just isn't much other than the odd frat house kegger that gets out of control or the occasional parking ticket. I'd be bored to near-insanity too.
Our campus cops are not real police. If they see something happen, they can report it or in some cases "apprehend" someone until the real police arrive.
There was an assault on campus last week. The aggressors were around 20 years old. To my sheer amazement, our overweight, mid-30s or older, smart-ass campus security people actually chased them down a few blocks and caught them. There must have been some catch to the story. Perhaps the assailants were overweight, crippled, high or something that would have disadvantaged them somehow...