University of Iowa public safety cuts managers, hires officers

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa Department of Public Safety has gone through a reorganization that eliminates three upper-management positions and allows the campus police force to hire six more officers.

'The reorganization is a business decision that will allow UI DPS to better align with the safety needs of campus by investing in patrol officers that can move the department's community policing initiatives forward as part of a larger effort to build positive relationships between students and campus police,” said Scott Beckner, UI's director of public safety, in a statement.

Beckner said he eliminated the positions of one associate director and two captains. He did not disclose the names of the UI employees affected and added they were not offered early retirement.

Beckner said in the statement that the reorganization came after a 'careful review of the department's governance structure, budget and priorities moving forward.”

Beckner announced implementation of what he described as a 'new business model” to UI public safety employees April 20, an email provided The Gazette shows.

'The department will focus on providing more police officers assigned to the patrol division,” he wrote. 'Providing more officers in patrol will allow more personnel to engage in community policing projects, be eligible to work ever-growing special events, overtime assignments and provide better patrol coverage of the campus.”

The new hires would allow for more foot and bike patrols as well, Beckner said.

The three affected supervisors had been notified at the time Beckner sent his April 20 email. Beckner also noted a vacant security supervisor position would remain vacant under the plan.

'Public Safety is committed to realigning resources that will better serve the university community in the future,” he wrote. 'Changing or reallocating funds is in the best interest of the university and the department.”

Beckner said Friday that the duties of the affected supervisors would be reassigned to others within the department.