Department of Public Safety runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is responsible for crime prevention, emergency response and parking on campus.
Former Director Tom Hicks, who had been employed with the University since 1983, resigned from his three-year interim director position at the end of December, University spokesman Phil Weiler said. Hicks now works in campus operations.
It’s unclear why Hicks resigned from his post.
University administrators are recruiting a Department of Public Safety interim director and will begin the search to fill the director position permanently at an unspecified time, University officials said Thursday.
Associate Vice President of Campus Operations George Hecht is working double duty at both DPS and Facilities Services for the time being, Weiler said.
Hicks and Hecht were not available for comment on Thursday.
An interim director will be hired within six to nine months, said Brian Smith, assistant vice president for administration. A job posting for the interim position has been posted on the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators Web site and the University’s Human Resources department.
University administrators are working with the national recruiting firm Bob Murray & Associates to fill the permanent position, Smith said. Administrators recently met with the firm and are working together to create a detailed job description. They haven’t started recruiting for the permanent position.
Administrators said they want to work with the campus community and students during the hiring process to find the right fit.
“Regardless of where you’re hiring in any organization, you want to have all the different constituents be involved in the selection process,” Weiler said. “It’s a smart way of doing business.”
ASUO President Jared Axelrod, who is on the hiring committee for the permanent director search, also met with Bob Murray & Associates. Axelrod said he addressed various student concerns, including rampant bike theft, lack of parking and Tasers, which DPS doesn’t currently use.
“I’m confident those are some of the concerns shared by a large number of students,” Axelrod said, adding that potential candidates should be aware of student concerns.
Smith said an ideal candidate for the permanent position would be someone who is familiar with campus environments.
“You have a lot of contact with students, and campus law enforcement needs to always bear that in mind,” Smith said. “Most of the people they contact are not criminals.”
Bob Murray & Associates is an executive hiring firm with experience in hiring city, county and other government positions, according to its Web site. The firm is based in Roseville, Calif.
Smith said the University is working with Bob Murray & Associates because the firm has experience recruiting for local government agencies, including the City of Eugene. The company also has experience recruiting law enforcement officials across the country.
“They have familiarity with Eugene and familiarity with the unique environment of campus law enforcement,” Smith said.
Weiler said the firm’s recruiting methods will move the hiring process along quickly because of its large database of candidates.
“It ensures the pool of candidates are going to be a good fit for this community,” Weiler said. “They know this community really, really well.”
Nine candidates have applied for the interim position, but administrators wouldn’t reveal candidate or salary details at this time.
“We can’t talk about that at this point,” Weiler said.
The DPS director supervises roughly 45 full-time employees and 30 student employees and helps to manage a $3.5-million budget.
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