Ed Jones, professor of political science
The campus is currently experiencing hectic times because of road closures, lost parking spaces, increased noise and dust, and some general confusion caused by the building program. But the temporary discomfort is well worth the ultimate improvement.
Some days I have to park behind the North Gym and walk a quarter of a mile to my office, but we are all doing similar things and I believe that we are all pulling together to get through this period.
That is, I believed that until last week when I experienced a very unfortunate incident. Arriving on campus just a few minutes before my afternoon class, as I drove up Brahma Drive, a sheriff’s deputy’s vehicle pulled in front of me and proceeded at a very slow pace.
The vehicle turned right at the signal and proceeded even more slowly along the driveway to the card deposit fixture and through the gate. Inside the gate, the deputy’s vehicle (with an officer driving and a passenger seated next to him) slowed even further and came to two complete stops in the process.
The officer appeared to be pointing and explaining something to the passenger.
Believing the officer had not seen me, and now having a very short time to get to class, I tapped my horn, smiled and said, “Would you please pull forward so that I can get by; I need to get to class.”
Instead of pulling forward, he got out of the car and slowly walked back to me, glaring as he walked. What did I think I was doing honking at him?
When I explained that I needed to get around him to get to class (there was not room to pass in the narrow area where his car was sitting), he said he would not move and proceeded to ask me what subject I taught and what classroom I was in.
I didn’t know what that had to do with anything, but I told him, and than I asked him again to move.
He said he wouldn’t.
Exasperated, I told him that if he wouldn’t move I would have to leave my car in the driveway and walk to my classroom so that the students would not think I was absent and leave.
He then told me that if I abandoned my car he would have it impounded.
Finally, one of his superiors came up and told him to move, which he did grudgingly and I managed to get to class while the students were still there.
I told the superior that I believed this was supposed to be a college campus for the education of students and not a military compound.
Who do these Sheriff’s deputies think they are?
I tried to signal that I needed help to get to class and got threatened for my trouble. Where’s the team spirit here?
In my opinion, the L.A. Community College District clearly made a big mistake when they changed from the former Campus Police to L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies. They are not part of our Pierce team; they are aliens in our midst.
We need to persuade the Community College Board to end the contract with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department as soon as possible and to reinstate the Campus Police.