Security sees changes and challenges

When Director of Security Keith James visited Oberlin as a candidate for his current position, he witnessed three of the more dramatic events Oberlin saw last year. "When I first visited Oberlin there were sort of mini-catastrophes," he said.

His three visits last Spring coincided with the micro-burst that hit campus, a speak-out in support of a student who had been evicted from his room because of his drug use and a protest of a Neuroscience lab.

James' initial impression of Oberlin students and Oberlin itself led him to say that one of the biggest surprises he had this semester was how nice the student body was. "I got a lot of cooperation from the student body. Students were very patient with the department," he said, looking back on his first year as director of Security.

James' first year was challenging; in some ways it mirrored the rockiness of events he witnessed as a candidate visiting Oberlin. He faced problems of miscommunication with students surrounding the shuttle service, a flurry of campus party controversies and assaults, and internal conflict in the department.

James said he learned a lot from his year here, and sees next year running more smoothly. Dean of Students Charlene Cole-Newkirk agrees that James is getting used to Oberlin and will be able to get more done next year.

"I think for the first year Keith has done an incredible job," Cole-Newkirk said. "As any new person he hasn't been without his problems. This culture is very different from Wooster."

"I think Keith's going to be an incredible director," she said.

"I think I will have a better year next year. I have learned a lot this year and hopefully some of that knowledge will help me with policy decisions next year," James said.

James will be helped next year by the arrival of an assistant director, who is expected to be hired in the next few weeks. The assistant director will be responsible for supervising the office.

A major obstacle James has faced throughout the year has been making changes and building trust within the internal structure of the Office of Security. In October James described the Department as needing a lot of changes.

"I didn't realize how much needed to be done to this department. Many of those things needed immediate bandaids. It was a matter of getting the office up to speed," he said.

James likened his first weeks on the job to being in a ship wreck. "What do you do? Let a ship go down with a big hole or try to plug it until you can fix it?" he said.

Included in the changes James implemented were changing the shift structure of officers. He put more officers on evening shifts, since they often need more officers, and added people to weekend shifts as well.

James recognizes that changes like the shift changes and asking the Conservatory and Allen Art Museum officers to work regular officer shifts are changes from the routine. "There are some tough decisions when you have people that have worked their shifts for years," he said.

James defended his decisions to go forward with changing the internal atmosphere of the office. In October he said, "Sometimes you have to be authoritative because something needs to be done now. It would be unfair to label someone as a dictator because different styles show up in every supervisor."

James' management techniques led to frustration and disillusionment among some of the Office of Security staff. In October an anonymous Security employee said, "I feel like my job is useless."

In August, Lee Kapucinski, who had been an officer for 11 years, resigned from the Department. Kapucinski was strongly opposed to the shift changes, and started to talk to her colleagues about how they felt with the changes.

According to Kapucinski, James called her into his office and told her she was "undermining him."

In response, James said, "There will always be those who have issues. The onus is on staff to say 'I don't like this. This is an alternative.' It's one thing to complain and create a difficult or hostile work environment, it is another to make suggestions. If there is a better way, I'll be glad to listen."

There were also a number of grievances filed against James through the union that represents the Security employees. James said that three or four were filed at the initial level.

James characterized the grievances as just one way to deal with conflict in the department. "Personally I would much rather discuss it," he said. James also said it is wrong to assume that if a grievance is filed it is factual. "When it gets to that level some people think 'Keith did something wrong,'" he said. James said he thinks some of the grievance were files simply to be filed.

"I think it is a shrewd way of doing things," he said.

Bruce Wohlenber, security officer and president of the union, was not available for comment on this issue.

According to James some of the internal conflicts are being resolved. "We are starting to gel," he said of himself and his staff. "I think I have the support of most of the staff."

James does acknowledge that his greatest challenge has been internal. "The department had its own issues."

Cole-Newkirk said this summer's re-negotiation of the union contract will be a big part of the work James does with the department.

James also faced some confusion with the organization of the safety shuttle, which had been started last year but took several months to start this year. In the end the service was set up in the Spring semester and is planned to continue next semester

Students demanded an escort service to address concerns about a growing number of assaults in Oberlin and a perceived downsizing of services in the Department of Security.

Discussion started in September between members of the Feminist Majority, who were spearheading the campaign for a shuttle service, the Security Advisory Committee and James. After a few initial meetings in which participants discussed options the meetings were stalled by miscommunication.

"We were really frustrated because we showed up for two meetings and Keith James stood us up both times," Correne Spero, Feminist Majority member and junior said.

"I am available and willing to talk to anyone so it puzzles me that they're saying I stood them up," James said in response. "My next step at this point will be to try and bridge the communication gap between the two task forces and see if we can all work together until we come up with a solution that satisfies all of us," he added.

Throughout the next weeks James, members of the Advisory Committee and the Feminist Majority did manage to put to together the shuttle service, but it did not start operating until the Spring semester.

Student use of the shuttle service did not explode, but many students are happy with the service. Double degree senior Derrick Gay and Conservatory sophomore Sybil Rolle said, while riding the shuttle home from the Con one Tuesday evening in February, "We love it."

The shuttle operates between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. and picks students up at stops throughout campus. James said he is very pleased with the shuttle service and plans to continue it next year. He said one idea he has is to turn the organization and scheduling of the service over to a student worker.

The Office of Security also faced challenges dealing with conflicts and parties off-campus, leading to more pressure on the department to negotiate a new mutual aid agreement with the Oberlin Police and clarify their obligation to off-campus events.

In March a party at the off-campus house know as Banana House was shut down by the Oberlin Police because of underage drinking. The Police received a complaint that the there was a loud party and someone being whipped on a cross. When the Police responded they found many underage drinkers both inside and outside the house. The party was shut down.

The week before, a Zeke party was shut down by the College and police were called in to deal with a situation that arose when revelers were forced to leave. Police arrived after one town resident threatened to fire a BB gun. It was the decision of Security to call in the Police.

These events and others, like an increase of student arrests for open container violations and underage drinking, has led the department to think more about its relationship with the police. Cole-Newkirk and James both named the development of a mutual aid agreement - which is a clarification and definition of the Office of Security's relationship with the police - as a goal for next year.

The Office's responsibility to deal with off-campus events was also questioned this Spring when two assaults happened involving students, but only one - the assault happening on campus - was reported to students in an all-campus mailing. The second assault happened outside the Feve, a popular student cafe downtown.

Many students were concerned that they were not informed of the second assault.

Fresh smile: Director of Security Keith James joined the Department last July. (file photo)