Once again Campus Safety magazine honors the top police chiefs and security directors of our nation’s hospitals, schools and universities in our Campus Safety Director of the Year Award program. Officer pay increases, wise money management and security technology upgrades were just some of the reasons why these 18 professionals were selected as finalists.
Winners will be announced at the Campus Safety Conference, April 26-28 in Tampa, Fla.
The finalists for the 2008 Director of the Year Award are…
Carl Bittenbender
Bernard Buckner
Phillip Caldwell
Adam Garcia
Jeff Karpovich
Steve Laudenschlager
Carl Loney
Gary Lyle
Alan Lynch
Raymond Osborne
Curtis Ostrander
Gene Palma
Todd Pelazza
Bob Roberts
Roger Sheets Sr.
Annette Spicuzza
Michael Tarter
Dennie Templeton
Congratulations to all of our finalists!
For general information on the Campus Safety Director of the Year Awards program, please visit www.CampusSafetyMagazine.com/DirectorOfTheYear.
Carl Bittenbender
Executive Director, Campus Safety Services
Temple University
Philadelphia
Notable Achievements:
- Managed the installation of 285 campus security cameras, adding to Temple’s 400 analog cameras, leading to a 29 percent decrease in robberies on campus
- Directed the implementation of a newly enhanced computer aided dispatch (CAD) system that links to the Philadelphia Police Department — the first municipal and university police departments to share a CAD system in the country. This lead to faster service, improved efficiencies and better flow of information between agencies
- Increased bike patrols, leading to increased officer presence and reduced crime
- Residence hall protection includes security officers registering each guest and key/keycard access control
- Department provides active shooter and Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training to students
Bernard Buckner Executive Director of Campus Safety
Cleveland State University (CSU)
Cleveland
Notable Achievements:
- Hosted a series of meetings to promote cooperation among neighbors and established a fax/E-mail tree to share information among Campus Watch, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Police, MetroHealth Police, CMHA Police Department, Cuyahoga Community College Police, County Protective Services, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Police, Case Western Reserve University Police Department, Cleveland Clinic Police, Block by Block, St. Vincent Quad, Plain Dealer Security, St. Vincent Hospital and Partnership for a Safer Cleveland
- Initiated the university chemical inventory system
- Conducted active shooter response drills and tabletop exercises with the Ohio Department of Emergency Preparedness and the Ohio Highway Patrol
- Petitioned Cuyahoga County to designate CSU as a secondary public safety answering point (PSAP)
- Updated CSU’s emergency call system, blue light telephones, crime mapping and radio communications
- Worked with the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, RTA, CMHA to link CSU exterior cameras so CSU can share live video with other law enforcement agencies; is conducting a field trial where video/mobile data terminals in patrol vehicles will be deployed, hopefully leading to greater access to video to better assist responding officers
Phillip Caldwell Chief of Security
Community Hospital Anderson
Anderson, Ind.
Notable Achievements:
- In addition to serving as director of security, he is a full-time police officer with the Elwood City Police Department. He is the only full-time security officer in his department
- Upgraded the O.B. unit’s and pediatric unit’s infant abduction security systems. The HUGS infant protection system works with the hospital’s video security
- Installed panic alarm buttons in several areas of the hospital, including all nurse stations. The equipment has reduced security emergencies by 40 percent and has positively affected emergency response times
- By staffing the emergency department with a security officer from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., the number of calls for assistance to the emergency department decreased by 60 percent
- Provided first response services for all security-related matters for the on-campus sexual assault treatment center; other upgrades to the shelter include access control, 32 cameras, patrols and escorts
- By installing IP security cameras, 38 percent savings will be realized and the campus will be able to install more cameras
Adam Garcia Director and Chief of Police
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, Nev.
Notable Achievements:
- Created a reserve officer program using part time, level 1, police officers for special events and game management, providing an ongoing pool of personnel to draw from at a fraction of the cost of a full time classified state officer
- Created a new position — an access control/perimeter security employee - to install and maintain the card access systems and video surveillance equipment. This move has increased security, and the employee has assisted in finding suspects using surveillance footage
- Obtained and trained two police K-9s: The ATF paid for the purchase and training of an explosives detection K-9, and forfeiture funds paid for a drug K-9 and his handler’s training
- Added TASERS to the tool belts of officers: All officers were trained in their use, and one officer became a certified instructor
- Installed 25 tower-style blue light phones throughout campus at a cost of $125,000 despite mandated statewide budget cuts
- Adopted a campus wide emergency text messaging system, along with an E-mail alert system, a reverse call system (can call as many as 12,000 phones every hour) and a call system that contacts all on-campus phones with emergency messages
Jeff Karpovich Director of Security and Transportation
High Point University
High Point, N.C.
Notable Achievements:
- Re-branded the department with a massive overhaul involving uniforms, badges, vehicles, graphics and security directional signage
- Created a transportation department to relieve security of routine driving duties and to better meet the demands of a growing campus
- Tripled the number of security staff and created the following: lesser-paid security ambassador position to handle light security duties; physical security manager position to handle growing physical security program; and part-time training officer position
- Developed minimum hiring standards for drivers and security officers, and created a security mini-academy
- Developed a security management activity reporting and tracking system (SMART) to track and report major initiatives
- Improved RF communications; installed two-way radios on all shuttles/buses; added more lighting on pathways and parking lots; added 10 emergency phones; and labeled parking lots for better identification
Steve Laudenschlager Director of Safety and Security
St. Joseph Hospital
Kokomo, Ind.
Notable Achievements:
- Completely revamped the department and enhanced its image by making the hiring process much more stringent and upgrading officer uniforms
- Improved officer morale by revising work rotations and increasing training
- Department is certified with FEMA and is in the process of being certified with the International Association for Healthcare Safety and Security (IAHSS)
- Relocated security office/command center to improve response times
- Increased the number of monitors, security checks and surveillance cameras and improved lighting, leading to a reduction in property loss and parking lot crime
- Installed a new weather warning system for the hospital operators room and is establishing the hospital emergency warning text system
Carl Loney Chief of Police/Director of Security
Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio
Notable Achievements:
- Redesigned the department fleet and purchased vehicles from the Ohio Department of Administrative Services State and Federal Surplus Section for an average of $5,000 per vehicle
- Expanded the department’s patrol boundaries to adjacent areas of the campus, resulting in reduced criminal activity and leading to the solving of more crimes
- Hosted active shooter training for nearly 60 members of local law enforcement and fire agencies, with one session taking place in Wittenberg’s own residence hall. Training was put to the test when five suspects, one with a gun, entered the residence hall — Wittenberg police arrived in seconds and the local police arrived in minutes.
- Partnered with the city chief so campus now has access to 800 MHz radio system without the extraordinary expense; Wittenberg just had to purchase the radios
- Deployed a text message emergency notification system where more than 40 percent of faculty and 30 percent of students have registered for the service
- Negotiated a favorable labor union contract without the help of an attorney and developed a strong working relationship with the union, resulting in the union presenting Loney with an award acknowledging his dedication, exemplary service and professional guidance
Gary Lyle Director/Chief
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Md.
Notable Achievements:
- Led his department to become the first community college public safety agency in the nation to receive accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)
- Coordinated the switch of the radio system from an inefficient low-band frequency to an 800 MHz system, which is interoperable with other county agencies, including police, fire and the county emergency operations center
- Established the campus security bike patrol unit
- Launched the campus Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) system program for women and seniors
- Implemented a formal department commendation program to publicly recognize officers who exceed department standards
- Implemented a recruit training program that surpasses the State of Maryland and IACLEA requirements. The department’s four days on, two days off work schedule provides 24/7 coverage and reduces overtime.
Alan Lynch Network Director, Safety and Security
St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network
Bethlehem, Pa.
Notable Achievements:
- Relocated security substation in the emergency department for better response times, and developed and implemented lockdown procedures to deal with gang members
- Provided instruction to emergency department employees on self defense and gang identification
- Installed new infant abduction prevention system, decreasing false alarms
- Installed access control, surveillance cameras and implemented photo ID badge program for all staff and physicians
- Implemented a valet parking services program resulting in patient satisfaction scores increasing by 3.4 points
- Developed a “Colt 45” policy so staff can be told via code to stay away and keep visitors away from an area where a person is armed or where there is extreme danger
Raymond Osborne Director, Security Services
University of California, San Diego Medical Center
San Diego
Notable Achievements:
- Expanded the security services department staffing level from 24 FTEs to 46 FTEs in only 10 months to include staff for a new command center to monitor video, alarms and dispatch calls
- Recruited six employees to improve training, supervision and officer morale, opening a career path for officers — a long-standing issue
- Developed a patient ambassador program with transport vehicles, and designated staff to assist with patient/visitor services
- Assumed responsibility for patient transport services
- Implemented a PC-based activity and incident report process to improve the documentation and collection of information and security metrics
- Fostered improved relations with local, state and federal law enforcement, including participation in the planning of a mock bioterrorism attack with a focus on patient and surge management
Curtis Ostrander Chief of Police
Cornell University
Ithaca, N.Y.
Notable Achievements:
- Made campus officer salaries competitive with municipal and county law enforcement agencies in New York State (NYS), enhancing the department’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel
- Reduced officer turnover rate from more than 10 percent to less than 1 percent, and increased the number of officers in the department by 25 percent
- Developed the police auxiliary team to provide assistance during commencements and visits by foreign dignitaries
- Improved hiring standards; created a formal hiring board; and created a recruitment incentive where officers can receive $500 for referring individuals to the department for employment
- Secured an agreement with the governor’s office that gives Cornell Police access to all NYS Department of Criminal Justice Records, crime mapping, Amber alerts, sex offender files and other security related data
- Installed mobile data terminals in every cruiser
Gene Palma Executive Director Department of Public Safety and Transportation
Adelphi University
Garden City, N.Y.
Notable Achievements:
- Increased transportation program use from 1,200 passengers per year to 196,000 passengers per year. The university also received the 2008 Regional Commuter Choice award from the New York State (NYS) Department of Transportation
- Vice president of the Long Island College and University Consortium for eight consecutive years
- Developed an aggressive training schedule for officers and other stakeholders. Topics covered included National Incident Management System (NIMS); executive protection certification; active shooter training; sexual assault and domestic violence training; emergency operations; alarm systems; video surveillance; fire alarms; and Clery procedures and reporting
- Conducted an emergency operations center command exercise with outside agencies, and conducted the school’s first emergency response team table top exercise
- Initiated emergency radio communications with Garden City’s police and fire departments, which now monitor Adelphi University’s frequency and hear up-to-date information on campus emergencies
- Implemented “Operation STOP,” a program designed to inform the community about the importance of stopping at stop signs
Todd PelazzaDirector
Fairfield University
Fairfield, Conn.
Notable Achievements:
- Fairfield University received the 2008 Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Award from Security On Campus Inc. for taking extraordinary actions to make students safe
- Three officers were certified as emergency medical technician instructors (EMT-1). The department launched an EMT course available to students and members of the community
- A third officer was certified as a Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) instructor due to growing popularity. Three officers are certified as Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) counselors
- Organized and conducted evacuation drills for both the university and high school, involving both town fire and police departments. During the exercises, the emergency notification system was also tested
- Developed an officer recognition program to reward performance and a wellness program to promote good health among officers
- Oversaw the completion of two phases of a three-part renovation project to department headquarters
Bob RobertsChief of Police
West Virginia University (WVU)
Morgantown, W.V.
Notable Achievements:
- Wrote a new emergency plan for the university, including special appendices for the stadium and arena. Also created building emergency plan templates, presentations and training. This program was the only higher education program to reach the semi-finalist stage for the IACP Webber-Seavey Award
- Served as a panelist at the West Virginia Homeland Security Summit
- Worked with human resources to improve recruiting and standards, and to raise the departmental pay grade compensation so that it is commensurate with local agencies
- Currently pursuing the first command and control center on campus. He has also partnered with the school’s purchasing department and private industry on a proposal for security technology across campus
- Achieved multiple improvements despite having a budget that is the lowest per student when compared to other similar institutions. Department’s budget per officer is, in some cases, one third the size of other comparable campuses
- According to the Clery 2007 crime statistics, WVU has a lower rate of violent crime, property crime and crime in every specific offense than 10 national peer institutions and any of the universities in the Big East
Roger Sheets Sr.Director of Security
LifeBridge Health
Baltimore
Notable Achievements:
- Three-term president of the Maryland chapter of the International Association for Healthcare Safety and Security (IAHSS); serves on the Maryland Joint Terrorism Task Force and is involved in many other law enforcement organizations
- Established improved officer qualifications with human resources and established new training requirements
- Installed an upgraded digital video recording system and added computer mapping to track incidents and trends
- Implemented crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) concepts in more than $240 million work of new capital projects
- Turned downsizing into a job enrichment and enhancement program for his department
- Managed parking operations, which formerly cost the institution $250,000 a year; now it turns an annual profit of $700,000
Annette Spicuzza Chief of Police University of California, Davis
Davis, Calif.
Notable Achievements:
- Restructured the department’s case numbering system and fully utilized the automated dispatch and records management systems in order to streamline processes. As a result, the records management staff was cut from 2.5 to 1.5 through attrition
- Although her department’s budget was cut by 8 percent, the cut was accomplished with little impact to workload at the front line and without impact to the community
- Implemented a security post in the Health System’s emergency room, resulting in a safety satisfaction rating increase from 4 percent to 90 percent
- Provided sworn staff with access to law enforcement databases, such as CLETS, CJIS, WSIN, JALAN and CalPhoto
- Obtained infrastructure funding for a $400,000 upgrade to the communications dispatch center
- Auctioned unclaimed lost and found items online, collecting more than $10,000 to date
Michael Tarter Executive Director of Safety and Security
Rio Rancho Public School District
Rio Rancho, N.M.
Notable Achievements:
- Created a district-wide approach to safety and security from a site-based approach, motivating security employees and freeing principals from the responsibilities of dealing with day-to-day security problems
- Conducted an inventory of security property and eliminated duplication, maximizing resources and personnel; tens of thousands of dollars of savings were achieved
- Increased the responsibilities of security personnel, which led to increased salaries and benefits, as well as improved officer retention and recruitment
- Created an hourly substitute security officer pool, which allows for improved matching of personnel with sites and duties; has also helped reduce incidents by there being full staff even when someone misses a day of work
- Hired a private security company to respond to alarms, which led to reduced false alarm fines. This solution was less expensive than hiring additional security personnel. It also improved morale for officers and administrators
- Selected by the New Mexico Public Education Department Safety team to rewrite the state mandated safety template plan for all school districts
Dennie Templeton Director, Office of Emergency Preparedness
Radford University
Radford, Va.
Notable Achievements:
- Developed and implemented emergency plans, protocols and strategies in 18 months, involving numerous campus constituents, including the university president, senior administration, faculty, staff and students
- Brought together campus constituents with local and regional first responder agencies in successful table-top exercises and full-scale emergency drills: 45 students volunteered to participate as “victims”
- Achieved cost savings by convening a committee composed of staff with expertise in communications, IT and budgeting to review and assess best buys in hardware and software to support a campus-wide mass notification system
- Developed plans to use existing distance education technologies in the event of a lengthy closure of the school to ensure academic continuity
- Manages two major units: the office of distance education and the office of emergency preparedness
- Worked with IT and emergency management personnel to research and recommend emergency preparedness enhancement resources and technologies, and established a Web-based port for the dissemination of information
Congratulations to all of our finalists!
For general information on the Campus Safety Director of the Year Awards program, please visit www.CampusSafetyMagazine.com/DirectorOfTheYear.