After protest, USF plans to hire rent-a-cops

USF students staged a sit-in at the campus administration building last week partly to protest underfunding of the university police. [Ross Mantle | Times]

TAMPA -- The University of South Florida will hire unarmed private security guards to bolster safety at the Tampa campus, administrators announced today.

Allied Barton, a private company that handles security for other colleges including the University of Central Florida, is negotiating a one-year, $200,000 contract with USF and will have its people on campus as early as next week.

The university has 41 officers in its police department.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after more than 50 students staged a sit-in to demand better campus security.

Allied Barton patrols the UCF dorms near its new arena and around its downtown campus and hospitality management college near Universal Studios near Orlando.

Today's announcement by president Judy Genshaft and Chief Financial Officer Carl Carlucci comes as USF continues to negotiate a new contract with its police officers. The chief says he needs more officers and better starting salaries to recruit and retain them.

-Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler, Times staff writer

Comments

This is the most unprofessional "headline" I've ever seen. Who writes this stuff, 10 year olds?

I agree. Sounds like one of the protestors wrote the headline. Regardless, unarmed security is a waste.

"SPT hires hacks for fish wrap" Your headlines writing style goes to prove the type of elitest journalism the
Times is known for.

[Larry]

Unarmed security is a waste.

Maybe we should cut Gensefts salry and put it into the police budget.

I am the parent of a USF student and am HIGHLY OFFENDED BY THIS ACTION.

What a joke, HEY TAXPAYER YOU GETTING SCREWED AGAIN