By Michaela Harris
Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
YUBA CITY, Calif. — The Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously approved last week to transition away from its police department in favor of a security force to better address gaps in safety and security.
This switch also marks the termination of three full-time equivalent college police officer positions, officials said. Employees were notified via email on Feb. 23 and through a certified letter on Feb. 26 that Chancellor Shouan Pan had submitted a non-reemployment recommendation to the board.
A safety and security assessment was conducted for the college district by Tactical Training Academy between Sept. 24 and 27, 2023, to evaluate the necessity of on-campus law enforcement, including policy, procedure, training, command, coordination, budget, and staffing practices.
According to the evaluation, the Yuba Community College District Police Department has offices onsite for Yuba College’s Marysville campus and Woodland College. The remaining three campuses in the district do not have regular law enforcement staffing, but police from the Marysville and Woodland campuses can respond to emergencies as needed.
Some district staff members believe that the department is severely understaffed, leading to a weak level of security for campus events.
“Current law enforcement coverage is not sufficient. The Marysville campus has one and half full-time officers working. That is supplemented with part-time officers, but it is not possible to get 10 hours of coverage each day. There are night classes and athletic events that need coverage as well,” Yuba College President Tawny Dotson said in the report. “The ( California Community College Athletics Association ) requires a POST certified officer in attendance at all athletic events. If a ( Yuba Community College District ) officer is not available, the District must reach out to local law enforcement to fill that position. If no POST certified officer can be found, then the athletic contest must be canceled.”
Based on documented staffing issues, gaps in coverage and possible liabilities, the Tactical Training Academy believes that the current safety and security system is flawed and in need of an “urgent revamp.” The report recommends instituting a new campus safety and risk management program, which could be supplemented by contracted local sworn police officers as needed.
"(Tactical Training Academy’s) findings of serious security risks and gaps make it unmistakably clear that the current district safety program fails to offer adequate safety measures; it fails to generate trust and confidence among students and employees. It is dysfunctional, ineffective, and inefficient. These concerns are compounded by local law enforcement’s reluctance and refusal to respond because the district maintains a commissioned police department,” officials said.
Even still, the vast majority of campus incidents across the district are non-criminal in nature and often do not require commissioned police intervention, officials said. According to the evaluation, out of 91 substantiated law enforcement reports that were submitted in the 2022/23 school year, seven led to arrests.
On March 14, the board agreed to discontinue the commissioned, sworn police officer program by June 30 and switch to a non-commissioned security force. A new district safety program will include 24/7 security coverage for the main campus sites in Marysville, Woodland, and Clearlake. Appropriate coverage will also be provided for other district sites.
According to the district, this change will also provide more comprehensive risk management and a greater emphasis on emergency response. A new District Division of Safety and Risk Management will be established and be responsible for district-wide safety training, program coordination and emergency preparedness for students and staff.
With this transition, Yuba Community College District aims to provide a range of public safety services to address incident reports, investigations and traffic control. The District Safety and Risk Management Department will effectively assist in these services through partnerships with local law enforcement, officials said.
___
(c)2024 the Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, Calif.)
Visit the Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, Calif.) at www.appeal-democrat.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.