Police officers often are assigned to security duties at schools, parks, and private property, such as shopping centers. If this is a part of their regular police duties and they are paid by the governmental unit, this is considered police protection duty even if they receive additional pay for it.
Off-duty police officers working as security guards for school districts, park districts, or shopping centers are normally considered employees of the district or shopping center. However, if the school district, park district, or shopping center contracts with a governmental unit to provide security services, and the management of the governmental unit (such as the police chief) determines which police officers will be assigned to the school, the police officers remain employees of the governmental unit, even though it does not pay them.
The governmental unit must determine if the police officers assigned as security guards are to be classified as police officers with police duties or security guards performing limited non-police security duties.