Dateline: October 24, 2002

County, college sign security contract

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon College students are now under the protection of the Donley County Sheriff’s Department after the county approved a contract between the two entities last week.

Under the terms of the contract, Clarendon College will pay the sheriff’s department $20,000 per year to provide campus security. In turn, the sheriff’s office will patrol the campus, check the doors of the buildings three or four times each night, and provide security during basketball games.

Officers will also be issuing parking tickets on the college campus, and all Class C misdemeanor citations issued to college students on the campus will be handled through college court.

“I think it’s a win-win situation,” said Sheriff Butch Blackburn. “Before, they were paying more than this to have a security guard, and we had to handle all their criminal cases. This will work for them, and the money will go into our overtime budget.”

CC President Myles Shelton likes the contract also.

“It provides an added measure of security for our students, and I’m looking forward to working with the sheriff’s office,” he said.

The contract took effect on October 15.