No contract, no work, security company tells school system www.privateoofficer.com
Posted by privateofficernews on April 17, 2008
No contract, no work, security company tells school system www.privateofficer.com
East Chicago IL. April 17 2008 Extra police officers filled in for the private security contractors who were absent from city schools Monday due to a contract dispute.
More than 30 unarmed guards with Gary-based Davis Security Services failed to show up for morning classes, prompting the temporary assignment of a dozen uniformed patrol substitutes.
Teachers and staff walked the school halls with police in lieu of the Davis guards, and no criminal incidents were reported Monday.
Davis Security Services had enforced order for the School City of East Chicago for more than a decade, but it has been without a written contract since at least 2005, according to company and school officials.
Company President Leon Davis said it was time for a formal business agreement for security services, and he had given the school administration 30 days notice, but no contract settlement had been reached.
School City Security Director Gus Flores said he returned to work Monday after several days off to find a letter from Davis dated April 9. It warned that the services would be withheld as of April 14.”What we have is a failure to communicate,” said Flores, who said he has been working on getting Davis’ account with the cash-strapped school system up to date, including getting the firm a check for $185,000 on April 4.
Davis said his company has a good relationship with the School City, and the payment is appreciated, but operational planning and cost management require a contractual agreement beyond the firm’s current monthly invoicing for services.Meetings with city and school administrators regarding the matter will continue today, Flores said, and private security in the schools likely would resume shortly.
Davis guards continued to be posted at the city’s housing complexes, libraries and marina Monday.
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