Student groups support keeping campus police
Photo Credit: Ben Gogna
Support sign for campus police
John Glidden, Staff writer
February 29, 2012
Filed under News, Top Stories
ASSC Student Government and Solano’s honor society Phi Theta Kappa, Beta Mu Gamma chapter have both expressed support for retaining Solano College’s Police Department.
On Feb. 7, ASSC voted to support a petition started by Solano’s faculty union. The petition was presented to ASSC by Gene Thomas, biology professor and vice president of the Solano College Faculty Association.
The petition states: “We, the undersigned, demand that SCC keep its fully trained and professional police officers who are represented by Operating Engineers Local 39. We do NOT want the safety of students, staff, or the general public compromised by contracting this vital campus function to an outside vendor whose minimally trained employees with limited authority to ‘observe and report.’ Campus safety across the nation has become more and more important—not less!”
“I think students and faculty can work together on this issue to persuade President Laguerre and the governing board that safety is too important to be contracted out; savings must come from other areas, for example, the district spends entirely too much money on consultants,” Thomas stated in an email to the Tempest.
Michael Fortuno, vice-president of publications for the honor society, addressed the governing board at their Feb. 15 meeting.
“As representatives for Phi Theta Kappa, Beta Mu Gamma chapter, Honor Society, we maintain our stance to support the retention of the Solano Community College police department while respectfully opposing the outsourcing of the police department’s role to privatized security,” Fortuno said.
“Every student attending Solano Community College has the right to enter upon each campus site with the thought of the daily tasks to be met. No student should enter upon each campus site with uncertainty that his or her safety exists,” Fortuno said.
Campus support is growing for the retention of the Solano College police department. ASSC Student Government and PTK, Beta Mu Chapter joins the faculty union and Faculty Senate in opposition to cutting the campus police.
ASSC student government meets every Tuesday of the semester, 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm in 1421. For more information contact President Moran-Richardson, (707) 864-7268, asscpres@solano.edu.
PTK meets regularly during the semester. For more information contact President Lillian Nelson, lillianmnelson@gmail.com.
