The Security Department At LBCC: More Than Meets The Eye

Students on the LBCC campus may only know about security from what meets the eye. But the nine men and women that patrol campus do much more than on the surface.

The Safety and Security Department located in the Red Cedar Hall works 24/7 to keep students, staff, and visitors safe. Duties go beyond tasks that have been known to annoy students, such as writing tickets in the parking lot and enforcing designated smoking areas.

All of the officers working on campus are certified by the Department of Public Safety Standard and Training. Each has passed a full background check, including finger printing and drug testing prior to certification.

All officers are trained and certified in CPR and first aid so they can act as a first response to any medical calls on campus. They work very closely with the Albany Police Department to ensure disruption or intruder calls are responded to quickly and efficiently. 

The security officers are educated on admin and campus rules, attending monthly team meetings to discuss any issues or topics to be aware of. They also attend monthly meetings with the safety committee to ensure they are enforcing and following OSHA requirements.

LBCC is also part of the Threat Assessment Team which is a board of members invited to join based off individual skill sets they can bring to the table. Members consist of: Linn Country mental health representatives; Albany, Corvallis, and Lebanon Police Department representatives; and LBCC faculty and staff . Their joint goal is to educate on how to identify, assess, and plan a course of action for potential threats on campus.

"The whole point of us being here is to keep it safe to study and to work," said Marcene Olson the Director of Safety and Loss Prevention.

Most of the campus rules of conduct enforced by the department are dictated by the requirements of the Department of Education. According to Olson, LBCC complies with all federal and state regulations and undergoes annual audits. Failure to comply with any section of the audit can result in a $34,500 fine per violation.

"We try really hard to reach all requirements because we don't have that kind of money and fines like that would drive the cost of education up."

Duties of the department include but are not limited to: escorts to the parking lot, responding to suspicious activity, natural disasters, collection of hazardous materials, and managing insurance claims.

The department is also responsible for updating all safety protocols on the website. One of the requirements in which LBCC complies is to post a public record of crime on campus via an annual crime report. Olson says that some weeks are better than others when it comes to incidents on campus.

"It varies, sometimes we might have 10 events in a week and sometimes we have two."

Olsen asks that students on campus be active bystanders and report anything that makes students uncomfortable or threatened. There is a 24-hour number to reach an officer after business hours.

"We encourage people to report things they see and hear."

Keeping the safety department informed allows them to better focus their efforts to improve the safety culture on campus.


-At a Glance-

Located: Red Cedar Hall
Office Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Office: (541) 917-4440
24-hour patrol: (541) 926-6855