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We're All in this Together: Dangerous Times, Constricted Budgets and Personnel Shortages Lend New Respect to Public-Private Partnerships

NCJ Number
223501
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 35 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2008 Pages: 32,34,39
Author(s)
Carole Moore
Date Published
June 2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article takes a look at private companies that are partnering with law enforcement agencies and how these partnerships are working.
Abstract
Dangerous times, constricted budgets, and personnel shortages lend new respect to public-private partnerships. AlliedBarton Security Services is making working with criminal justice agencies a priority, especially in the area of campus police. Some of the AlliedBarton clients include: Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Penn State, and Duke. One of the services private complies like AlliedBarton provides includes nonsworn access control, as well as campus patrol, transport services, escorts, working lockouts, checking doors, monitoring alarms, and standing fire watches. Day and Zimmermann Security Services began a private-public partnership with the reopening of the New Orleans School District, after Hurricane Katrina. With the New Orleans Police Department facing many challenges, including being undermanned and over-tasked, the school district was facing infrastructure, equipment, and personnel issues, in addition to children facing enormous upheaval and challenges of their own. Day and Zimmermann provide safety, security, accountability, and backup for law enforcement in the school district. It is a reality that government must look to the private sector for future needs. Cost effectiveness combined with well-trained, bonded officers can help bridge the gap between budget shortfalls and delivering the level of service the taxpayers expect.