The Student Association Senate voted Monday night to oppose a D.C. Council bill that could increase the University Police Department’s jurisdiction.

Sen. Thomas Falcigno, CCAS-U, said the bill, which would permit campus police officers to exercise authority in areas off campus at all D.C. universities, threatens the safety of students on campus.

“Taking GW police officers, which are supposed to police the George Washington University, harms students because it takes our resource and potentially threatens the safety of students on campus. The presence of CSAs has been reduced and we’ve had incidents of people not [affiliated] with the University entering residence halls,” he said.

Proposals to expand campus police officers’ power in the District have historically failed, but a coalition of local universities’ student governments have teamed up to formally denounce the D.C. Council bill.

Executive Vice President Casey Syron said the SA Senate will send a letter with other local universities to the D.C. Council in the next several weeks to formally announce their opposition to the bill.

Both Syron and SA President Andie Dowd commended also the senate for its unanimous condemnation of the University for not revoking Bill Cosby’s honorary degree in November. GW reversed its decision Monday afternoon.

“I was really proud to be a Colonial today and take a stand against that terrible, terrible man,” Syron said.