McGinn guard review begins

In the wake of doubts about the efficiency of McGinn Security Services, Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said yesterday that a "quality management team" has been created to look into residential security. The first meeting of the team did not occur until last week, though, nearly three months after Simeone promised to investigate the matter "very quickly." Simeone said the investigation would begin before the end of the semester. In February, Simeone said her department would fully investigate allegations made by some McGinn guards that some co-workers sleep on the job. She also promised to look into McGinn's supervision, training and background check procedures. "We are working very hard and very quickly to investigate all aspects of security life," Simeone said in early February. "We are working very closely with McGinn to make sure everything is worked out." By organizing last week's meeting, Simeone kept her promise from late February that this team would be "started up by the end of this semester." Yesterday, Simeone said that all aspects of residential security will be examined by the quality management team, including the role of McGinn and Residential Living staff and systems. She added that she expects the team to work "extensively" over the summer, in hopes of implementing any changes before the beginning of the fall semester. Simeone said that the quality management team has identified a "wide range of issues we want to look at." She added that she hopes that can be done "with a really fresh eye." A facilitator for the committee will be selected today from outside Residential Living and then the members of the committee will be finalized, Simeone said. While she did not know specific members of the committee, Simeone added that University Police will definitely be represented. Simeone also added that McGinn -- whose contract with the University is estimated at $899,500 -- will not have representation in the committee. McGinn's contract with the University does not expire until 1997. Simeone said in February that although McGinn's contract has been extended, it is subject to review by Residential Living. This includes a weekly meeting between Residential Living staff and Joseph McGinn Jr., McGinn's vice president of operations. Following allegations of McGinn workers asleep on the job, Simeone announced with University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich that University Police and Residential Living officials would be making "spot checks" of the dormitories. Students were also asked to call Residential Living if they had any security problems. To date, though, Simeone said her department has only received a "handful of complaints." "We've been checking very thoroughly," Simeone said. "I'm not aware of any major problems. I certainly feel we have very much tightened up our monitoring. And I think that has resulted in significant improvements." Residential Living surveys, distributed to undergraduates last month, are also being evaluated, Simeone said. She said her department has collected 700 surveys to date, but added that they have not been entered into computers for analysis. Simeone said she has read many of the surveys herself and said "student response was varied" about safety and security in dormitories. An earlier survey of graudate students, showed a 90 percent satisfaction rate with University residential security. Simeone said she does not want to make any conclusions before the results are analyzed by a computer, because, she said, "we need to go through every single one and compile the information." This information will be used by the quality management team in its investigation.

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