Trustees reassess campus security
Funding cuts could lead to changes in policing
With the likelihood of no students on community college campuses during the fall semester, meaning less revenue for parking permits and citations, Yuba Community College District Trustees have begun to look at some financial cuts, specifically campus security.
During their board meeting last week, Yuba trustees began
discussing the economic value of continuing to employ a district police department on campus, as well as whether to restructure, pause, or end a decades-long partnership.
The college district — which oversees Woodland Community College — has had a police department on campus since 1971, but it was not until 1993 that the security became sworn police officers.
The discussions come at the same time a nationwide movement is underway to “defund” police departments within cities as part of a major restructuring of how money is spent toward policing. Colleges and universities are holding similar discussions with UC Davis and Sacramento State both looking at whether to continue their police departments in their current forms or allocating more money toward mental health and other support services.
“Over the years we have tried a couple of different strategies but have never been able to bring those decisions to any kind of closure to whether we want to expand the police department, improve security or maintain the level of operations,” said Chancellor Dr. Douglas Houston. “Economically we know we are using a significant portion of our general fund budget at this point far beyond what we collect in ways of revenues through parking permits and citations.”
The Yuba College District has four full-time officers, with one serving as the acting chief for five campuses. According to Houston, the department is stretched in ways that have become untenable for the district.
Over the past six years, the cost of operating the district police services has hovered between $300,000 to $500,000 of general fund dollars over the revenues generated from parking permits and enforcement citation collections.
“Does the impact of this service validate a $300,000 expenditure, depending on the year,” asked Area 6 Trustee Susan Alves. “I would like to see the data that shows us this is a necessary and impactful need on our campuses.”
Safety and students feeling secure was a huge talking point for trustees as they questioned if a campus department actually made students feel and be safer. The need for de-escalation, especially on campus was a big talking point.
“Change is on the horizon and we are seeing with the police force that the community is looking for people who can respond with certain skills that can defuse a situation rather than aggravate it,” said Area 7 Trustee Richard Savarese. “I question guns on campus. Seems to me what we need on campus is prevention rather than suppression.”
Houston responded by defending the current officers who are actively on campus.
“Our police are currently doing preventative work,” Houston said. “That is a difference that the campus police department can make and does make. Our police officers forge relationships with faculty and staff and students, the culture and ethos are different on the campus PD rather than a municipal PD.”
A plan will be brought forward during future meetings.
“We are educators, we are not running police forces,” said Area 2 Trustee Brent Hastey. “I think its really important we go with our strengths and contract out those services. We don’t have students there this year. I don’t know when that’s going to happen, but the way I’m watching the numbers, it’s not going to happen soon. Is this something we can stand down and rebuild it in three or four years when you need it? We can save that money and put it back and investing it into the students and how they have to learn now.”