“Goodbye rent-a-cop, hello Robocop,” said Junior Doug Robertson.Guilford College outsourced the in-house security that had been a Guilford trademark. In its place, Guilford hired Allied Security, an independent security contracting service.

Allied Security performs more responsibilities pertaining to safety than did the previous security. office. The department therefore changed its name to Public Safety.

The school planned to maintain a tie between past security and Allied Security so the new officers would have guidance, but the previous Director of Security, Sylvia Chillcott, decided to leave for Catawba College before the school year started. So began the search for a new Director of Public Safety.

The interim Director of Public Safety is John Jenkins, also the Associate Chief Financial Officer for Facilities.

He has had his hands full. “It’s been a challenge,” Jenkins said. “But, we hope to have [a full-time Director of Public Safety] in place in the near future.”

Anne Lundquist, Dean for Campus Life, is also eager to see a full-time Director of Public Safety. “My hope is that we can get stable folks in here,” she said, “and that they begin to get to know students.”

Because Allied Security officers have had little experienced guidance, confusion has heightened. Officers are rotating in and out (several were fired and others quit), flustering students and making both parties unable to form a bond.

“One of the things that makes us think that they are not looking out for us,” junior Matt Shelton said, “is because they are not here long enough for us to get to know them.”

“I don’t think there would be confusion if they had a supervisor,” said junior Hall Director Desiree Wilkinson.

Still early in the year, but many students have noticed tension between officers and students.

“Right now, it feels like [Public Safety] are the police,” senior Matt Bostick said. “Students don’t have to be archenemies… It could be a really positive experience.”

Lundquist acknowledges that tension exists, but believes “it’s going to keep getting better.”

“We would [also] like to see a better [officer-student] relationship,” said Public Safety Account Manager Thomas Dicker.

There have been mixed reactions regarding the effectiveness of the new Public Safety department within the student body.

“I think it’s better,” said junior Residential Advisor Melissa Smith. “[Before,] when people got locked out of their rooms it would take forever. This year it takes like five or six minutes.”

“Public Safety is way over-zealous,” senior Patrick McDougal said. “They are looking for trouble so hard that they actually make it.”

Students have also been bothered by a perceived reason for bringing in a new contracted security.

“Students think the decision was made because of money,” Shelton said, “and that makes us mad.”

It is unclear whether the cause for change in personnel was based on money.

“I think it is more cost effective,” Lundquist said.

Jenkins argued, however, “it was not a financial [decision].” Unfortunately, clarification of the issue did not arise.

Senior staff writer Naman Hampton was most disturbed by the outsourcing of security. “I think it is a disturbing trend at Guilford,” he said, “that places like the Underground, the bookstore, and security are being replaced by corporate chains that are supposedly more efficient. In reality [they] are detrimental to the community because they are not familiar with the community and its Quaker values.”

Public Safety Officer Chris Curry declined comment.