Gadsden State to create police department to serve its five campuses
Calling it “the right thing to do for our students, our employees and our community,” Gadsden State Community College President Kathy Murphy has announced that the school will create its own police department.
The department will serve all five GSCC campuses, according to a news release: Wallace Drive, East Broad and Valley Street in Gadsden; Cherokee in Centre; and Ayers in Anniston.
“We want to ensure that our students have the best college experience by providing them with a safe and secure place of learning,” Murphy said.
Gadsden State will join seven other Alabama Community College System schools that have launched police departments over the past two years, according to the release.
The college currently has a security department with eight full-time and eight part-time officers, under the direction of Security Manager Mark Light. Their duties include protecting property, inspecting and securing buildings, and deterring criminal activity.
Murphy said those officers have “done an exceptional job in serving our students and securing our campuses,” and have been “important to the safety and security” of those campuses. They will continue in their roles as part of a new Police and Security Department.
However, she noted that they don’t have arrest powers or law enforcement training requirements.
Gadsden State has posted the job of police chief. The requirements include a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field; a minimum of 10 years’ employment experience as a police officer; a minimum of three years’ experience as a law enforcement supervisor; and experience as a criminal investigator.
Candidates also must also have Alabama Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, or the ability to achieve a lateral transfer from APOST. Experience in firearms instruction, use-of-force instruction and field training is preferred.
Those interested can apply by 4 p.m. March 16 at www.gadsdenstate.edu/employment.
Once a chief is in place, sworn police officers will be hired. They will patrol the campuses on foot and in vehicles. They’ll be tasked with investigating on-campus incidents, including vehicle accidents and criminal activity; conducting felony and misdemeanor investigations, including interviews of victims, suspects and offenders; preparing photo lineups; collecting evidence; and preparing case files.
“Our officers will have a strong presence to hinder anyone even considering committing a crime at Gadsden State,” Murphy said in the release. “Just having the police on campus should make our students and our employees feel confident that they are going home safely at the end of the day.”
The number of officers to be hired is pending, according to the release. Mark Bailey, ACCS’ chief safety and security officer, said the system has “a comprehensive background check process in place” for hiring them.
It includes pre-employment background checks of criminal records, drivers' records and disciplinary records from prior law enforcement agencies and secondary and post-secondary schools, as well as residential and credit histories and references. Candidates must also undergo psychological evaluations and submit to polygraph and drug tests.
Murphy said the police department will make a positive impact on those who attend classes or work at Gadsden State.
“Our students are our focus,” she said. “They are the reason we are here. They are the reason we are so passionate about our college. There is nothing more important to me than their safety and well-being. We want to make sure they are protected every time they step foot on one of our campuses.”
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden State to launch its own police department
