The Los Angeles Community College District has announced plans to seek a new security services contract after failing to reach agreement on a contract with the sheriff’s department, which has provided services to its campuses for 19 years.
The Los Angeles Daily News reports that the college district had negotiated with the sheriff’s department for five months and were not able to reach agreement on a contract “in light of the current Covid-19 environment.”
The sheriff’s department’s contract with the college district expires on Dec. 31.
The district has been spending more than $25 million a year for sheriff’s department services, including round-the-clock security at its nine colleges, several branch sites and satellite campuses, the district’s main office in downtown Los Angeles and other facilities.
Francisco Rodriguez, chancellor of the college district, says it will conduct an assessment of campus safety over the next few months “and use that assessment as the basis for a request for proposals for campus safety services.”
The district has not released details about the types of security services that will be provided or what type of temporary contract is being pursued.
“For the past 19 years, the over 150 department members have served L.A.’s college community with the utmost pride and professionalism,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a statement. “I want to thank the college district for their past partnership.”
Villanueva said personnel that now are serving the community colleges will be reassigned to fill vacancies throughout the department.
