School security guards fired

The Metropolitan Police Department has dismissed 10 school security officers after internal screening found contract employees with criminal records that included convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, larceny and drug possession.

The department disclosed the dismissals in a written response by Chief Charles H. Ramsey to a recent D.C. Office of Inspector General’s audit, which faulted city police for licensing school security officers despite their criminal backgrounds.

The inspector general’s office released its report Friday, and it included written responses from Chief Ramsey, public schools Superintendent Clifford Janey and Watkins Security of D.C. Inc.

The Washington Times reported last week that a draft copy of the audit had found the police department had licensed four school security officers who did not disclose their criminal records on job and license applications.

In his response, Chief Ramsey said his department’s security officer management branch is setting tougher standards for school security officers.

“This more rigorous program of training and testing is already showing results,” he wrote.

New measures include a daily list of all security officers in the schools to ensure “that only guards that have received [police] approval are deployed,” Chief Ramsey wrote.

The previous security contractor for D.C. schools — Watkins Security Agency of D.C. Inc. — blamed the police department for failing to notify the company when prospective employees falsified applications to conceal their criminal histories.

“It is MPD’s responsibility… to conduct criminal background investigations on new employees,” company President Richard A. Hamilton wrote in a reply to the inspector general.

“Until MPD performs its criminal background investigation and responds back to Watkins with evidence that an applicant has falsified pre-employment documents, Watkins does not have knowledge of such falsifications, and therefore cannot be expected to take actions based on knowledge it doesn’t possess.”

Mr. Janey said he generally agreed with the inspector general’s findings. He said the school system will “monitor any future school security contractor to ensure … background checks are performed.”

D.C.-based Hawk One Security Inc. took over school security services, though Watkins is seeking to overturn the two-year, $30.3 million contract in a pending appeal.

Cathy Reilly, director of the Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals and Educators, an advocacy group, said the transfer of security services from the schools to police will result in better oversight.

“You certainly have the feeling that the police department wants to do a good job, but that is also new territory for them,” she said.