This article appeared on the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators website on August 1, 2018
Congrats to IACLEA member Santa Fe College! After five years of planning and securing funding, the agency dedicated its newly expanded Police Department building May 31 with a celebration that included several honored guests and friends. An expansion was added to the existing building—originally a bus depot constructed in 1974—to conserve resources and time.
College President Jackson N. Sasser was on hand—with giant scissors—to help with the ribbon cutting. Distinguished audience members included Bob Gasche, a World War II veteran who fought during the battle at Iwo Jima and is a good friend of the college and law enforcement, and Sheriff Sadie Darnell, Alachua County.
Chief Ed Book, an active IACLEA member, said, “These new facilities help us provide even greater services and partnership to our Santa Fe College community. Importantly, we now have private space preserving dignity for victims while protecting our staff.”
In the new space, officers and victims will benefit from a private interview room, meeting space, and service distribution center for the Santa Fe College community. The building, front-desk, and dispatch area are target-hardened to protect staff. These facilities also will act as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the college during critical incidents and weather emergencies.
The Santa Fe College PD, founded in 1993, was the first community college law enforcement agency in the state of Florida. The department collaborates with two neighboring county agencies via mutual aid agreements. The agency is a fully sworn police agency.
The college is located in Gainesville, Florida; the two-year institution has an enrollment of approximately 16,000.