Peralta Community College District (PCCD) Interim Executive Director of Public Safety, Abdul Pridgen, recommended that the district build a safety plan that includes both ‘sworn and non-sworn’ personnel during a meeting of the Board of Trustees at Merritt College on Sep. 24.
The proposed hybrid model is a new development in the district’s efforts to restructure its approach to campus safety following the 2020 death of George Floyd. PCCD currently contracts with Marina Security Services to provide unarmed security districtwide.
“There is something to be said about being self-sufficient and having the resources to address all the things that might happen across our campuses,” Pridgen, a former San Leandro Police Chief, said. “And there are times where you absolutely have to have police.”
He suggested the creation of a “holistic, comprehensive, California POST certified public safety agency” which would provide a “human centered, tiered response” to various safety concerns. POST, or the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, is the state credentialing agency that sets selection and training standards for law enforcement officers.
“For example, if we get a call of a dysregulated student at Berkeley City College, we’re dispatching someone who is trained in de-escalation — not armed, not a badge, no arrest powers — to try to resolve that situation,” Pridgen explained.
The department could decide to send in a “sworn person” with arrest powers depending on the situation, according to Pridgen.
“If we happen to get a call of a crime in progress — the College of Alameda, someone’s trying to break into one of the construction trailers — we’re going to dispatch a sworn person for investigation and intervention,” Pridgen said.
As a part of his presentation, Pridgen briefed the board on the results of a safety and security survey which was circulated earlier this year amongst the Peralta community.
According to the survey data shown during the meeting, the district received “over 500 responses.” Only 53% of participants responded that they felt “safe” or “very safe” on district campuses. 49% said that they feel “safe” or “very safe” traveling to or from PCCD campuses.
Pridgen claimed that respondents who “positively refer to police who are armed outnumbered those who negatively responded to police who are armed by a ratio of approximately five and a half to one.”
The Citizen reached out to Pridgen via email on Sep. 25 to request a copy of the survey data, which was not provided in time for publication.
Pridgen also mentioned the possibility of integrating “smart software” into the district’s camera infrastructure.
“So now we can determine whether or not someone’s just loitering by a fence or they’re trying to breach the fence,” Pridgen said.
Pridgen also postulated involving Merritt College’s Administration of Justice program, a training program for students who wish to pursue a career in criminal justice, in campus safety efforts.
“Would we not want to leverage that energy and that enthusiasm in our Department of Community safety?” Pridgen asked rhetorically. “Will we not want people from our own backyard, who fully embrace, appreciate and embody our culture, serving us?”
In his presentation, Pridgen referenced a recent car burglary that occurred in the Laney College parking lot, stating, “I can tell you, in my 32 years of experience, I do not believe that would have happened had we had a sworn person there.”
Board President Paulina Gonzalez-Brito asked Pridgen to clarify what difference a sworn officer would make in that situation.
“I’ve never seen someone steal a car in front of a police officer when they’re saying, ‘Don’t take the car,’” Pridgen responded. “[…] An officer can take action that Marina cannot.”
Trustee Sheweet Yohannes asked Pridgen to clarify what he meant by hybrid “specifically,” pointing out that hybrid could mean “50-50” or “90-10.”
Pridgen said he “can’t really make any decisions today” on what the model would look like.
“It’s based upon the feedback and what safety model we want to create,” Pridgen said.
When asked by Trustee Nicky González-Yuen about an expected timeline, Pridgen said that in his experience the process of implementation will take around 18 months before significant change is seen.
Pridgen’s proposal comes four years after the Board of Trustees voted to terminate the district’s contract with longtime security partner, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), in favor of the use of private unarmed security vendors. Black Minds Matter, an organization of Peralta community members, advocated strongly for the district to end its partnership with ACSO in 2020.
Pridgen closed his presentation by stating, “I am a Black man with a Black son living in America.”
“I am keenly aware of the role members of public safety have played in marginalizing, discriminating against, and even killing people who look like me,” he continued. “I have labored my entire career to ensure that everyone, especially groups from historically marginalized groups, are treated justly, with dignity, and respect.”
Pridgen was appointed earlier this year after the ejection of former Executive Director of Public Safety, Tim Thomas from the role. Thomas officially resigned in May after being placed on leave in February.
