School district hires new security firm

Riverhead Central School District will start the new school year with a new security firm overseeing school safety — the fourth time in the past five years that the district begins a new academic year with new leadership in that important position.

The board of education last night approved a contract Summit Security Services of Uniondale as school safety and security consultant for the current year. Summit will be paid $114,400 for the services to be provided, which include the assignment of an on-site security coordinator who will work with the district’s existing security staff to provide security services in the district.

The contract can be renewed four times for additional one-year terms, with a 3-percent annual fee increase each time. It can also be terminated by either party, with or without cause, upon 30 days written notice.

The security consultant hired last year, MR Safety Consulting Corp., like the previous outside security consultants hired, was not the right fit for the district, board member and past president Greg Meyer said after the meeting last night. MR Safety Consulting Corp. owner Michael Rodriguez was previously a security guard in the Brentwood school district, where Riverhead School Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez worked as an assistant superintendent before coming to Riverhead last fall.

MR Safety Consulting Corp., paid $90,000 for its services, replaced Covert Investigations Inc., a firm hired for the 2016-2017 school year at an annual rate of $75,000.

The Covert Investigations appointment came after a year of transition following the resignation of a district employee hired in October 2014 to fill the newly created post of director of school safety. James Gresham, who came to Riverhead from the Southampton school district, resigned after less than six months on the job. He was not replaced in that position.

Meyer said last night the rate of turnover is not concerning. The district never enters into consulting contracts for terms longer than one year, he said.

Prior to the creation of the director of school safety position in 2014, the district’s security staff was led by longtime security chief Don Henderson.

Meyer said last night the board of education does not expect any major changes to school security staffing, policies or procedures. There are no plans for installing metal detectors in school buildings or arming faculty or staff with firearms, he said. However, the district does plan to implement stricter requirements for displaying ID for all personnel and students on school property and may also implement a policy requiring bags to be searched in order to enter indoor events on school property, Meyer said.

The district is partnering with the Riverhead Town Police Department to have a school resource officer on school grounds for the first time this year. The board last night approved a contract for that purpose with the Town of Riverhead.

Summit, founded in 1976 is headquartered in Uniondale. With some 4,000 employees, it is one of the largest security firms in the country. Its roster of clients includes hundreds of commercial businesses, government agencies and institutions, according to its website.

Editor’s note: This article has been amended post-publication to clarify that board member Greg Meyer said the the previous hires were not the right fit for the district; he did not single out MR Safety Consulting Corp. only. It has also been amended to correct the title held by Michael Rodriguez in the Brentwood school district.