Allied Security, Inc. named new head of residential security

McGinn to leave campus August 15 The University selected Allied Security, Inc. as its choice for the new campus security firm yesterday. The Pittsburgh-based firm will begin its two-year contract on August 15, which will also be the last day for McGinn Security Services. "We are very pleased with the results of this process and believe that this firm shall serve the students, Residential Living and the University well," said Executive Vice President Janet Hale, who approved the choice along with Provost Stanley Chodorow. The firm was selected from a pool of 14 candidates who were evaluated by a team of representatives from the Division of Public Safety, the Department of Residential Living, the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life, the Purchasing Department and the student body. Assistant to the Deputy Vice Provost Carolynn Martin said last week the companies were rated on a scale of 1-10 on five categories -- management, quality assurance, responsiveness, training and experience. President Judith Rodin, who was briefed on the selection team's "decision-making process," called the entire search process "highly professional." She added that the University will monitor the new firm closely. "The vendor has a responsibility to monitor [its guards]," she said. "[But] it is the University's responsibility to insure that we get the kind of service which was promised." Allied, which began in Pittsburgh in 1957, is now the seventh largest security company in the country, with 45 branch offices nationwide. According to a statement issued by the company, Allied's motto is "Integrity, Reliability, and Service" and the company believes in the "importance of continuously improving upon customer satisfaction." Gordon Ellis, branch manager for Allied's Philadelphia office, said yesterday that the company is looking forward to working in partnership with the University to provide a safer campus environment. "We are confident in our systems and practices," he said. "We truly believe that we can provide a better security environment for students, faculty and visitors." Ellis added that while some officers in some buildings will work the day shift, the company's primary assignments will lie in the 4 p.m.-midnight and midnight-8 a.m. shifts. He said the guards will be made up of both "people that have been on board [at Allied]" and "people that we're interviewing currently." To his knowledge, no one from McGinn Security has applied for a job at Allied, he said. Joseph McGinn, Sr., president of McGinn Security, said yesterday he is disappointed with the University's decision not to rehire his company. "I'm disappointed because we feel that we've been responsive," he said. "But that's the way it goes." McGinn added that the company will remain in business and seek employment elsewhere. "We will be active and solicit new business," he said. "[The University is] a major piece of business and it's not going to be easy to replace but it's something that we have to work on." University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich, who said he is "extremely pleased" with the choice of Allied, said he has "no concerns" about a potential lax in security from now until August 15. "We believe that Joe McGinn is a reputable businessman -- he has worked long and hard at this institution and his personnel are very dedicated people," Kuprevich said. "We fully expect that they will comply with their [responsibilities]." The University first announced in April that it would terminate its contract with McGinn Security -- four years earlier then it was set to expire -- after several McGinn guards were found sleeping on the job. During one two-hour period in March, The Daily Pennsylvanian photographed four McGinn Security Services guards asleep on the job. The guards were stationed at the Quadrangle, Mayer Hall, Stouffer College House and Graduate Tower B. McGinn blamed DP editorials for the loss of his company's contract. Ellis said he took a walking tour of the campus yesterday to examine its security needs.