2 UH campuses
lose securityHonolulu Community College
and UH-Hilo scramble to replace
a closed firm's guards
HILO -- Following the abrupt cancellation of security services at Honolulu Community College and the University of Hawaii at Hilo on Monday, university officials have rushed to find guards to patrol the two campuses.
On Monday morning, a Big Island supervisor for Honolulu-based Security Specialists told the 15 UH-Hilo guards that the company could no longer pay their salaries.
Despite this, several guards volunteered to work their shifts for free until university administrators could make alternative arrangements, according to Kolin Kettleson, UH-Hilo director of auxiliary services.
"It was quite a shock," said John Whittaker, vice chancellor of administrative affairs at UH-Hilo. "We'd been very pleased with them."
Security Specialists was in the fourth year of a five-year, $330,000 annual contract with UH-Hilo, as well as a separate $90,000 contract with Honolulu Community College.
UH-Hilo and HCC officials immediately made alternative security arrangements with Freeman Guards, the Honolulu-based company that serves UH-Manoa. About 15 guards are assigned to the Hilo campus and four at the Kapalama campus.
Three off-duty Hawaii County police officers also were hired to patrol the UH-Hilo campus through midnight Thursday, when a full complement of Freeman guards was deployed.
Internal Revenue Service agents seized the assets and shut down Security Specialists on Sept. 19 for nonpayment of federal income taxes.
Whittaker said the company had given UH-Hilo no indication that it was in financial trouble. A related Honolulu-based company, Security Konsultants Inc., is still operating.
Security Specialists Vice President Robert Dombrowski cited increased costs for medical benefits, workers' compensation and fuel for company vehicles as reasons for the company's failure.
"State-mandated costs are killing small businesses in Hawaii," he said. "Our fuel, insurance and other costs keep going up, but we're locked into the contract with state agencies and can't pass them along."
University of Hawaii general consul Walter Kirimitsu said he had no doubt that there was a breach of contract.
"We are looking into the feasibility of legal action against the company," he said.
UH-Hilo's Whittaker said Freeman Guards will continue patrolling the campus for the next few months.
In the meantime, the university and community college will seek bids for long-term security services.
Dombrowski said Security Specialists also provided security for county botanical gardens, Med-Quest, state facilities on Maui, and other state agencies.
