AVC security receives its own home
Facility is on campus’ southwest corner
LANCASTER — Antelope Valley College officials dedicated the new security building on the southwestern corner of the Lancaster campus Friday morning.
The single-story, 5,660 square-foot building includes space for three offices, briefing room, locker rooms, and restrooms. The facility includes gated parking for security vehicles.
“This has been a long time coming,” AV College Board of Trustee President Michael Adams said.
AV College had private security with no office when Adams was first elected to the Board in 1997. At one point, the college had its own police department; the chief of police had his office in a supply room. Subsequent years saw modular buildings and offices near the cafeteria.
“Today is a great day; it’s been a long time coming and I’m very, very happy we went to a sheriff’s department contract,” Adams said. “We went with the professionals. We have not regretted that decision for a single instant since the time we first signed that contract with the sheriff’s department. We appreciate all they do, not only for safety and security of campus, our students, our faculty, our staff, but also for just that feeling of security they give us by being around on campus.”
AV College began its relationship with the LA County Sheriff’s Department in January 2010.
“They started with a single table and a single chair in a room next to the cafeteria,” AV College President Ed Knudson said.
Knudson praised the college’s relationship with the Sheriff’s Department.
“We’re very pleased to move them out of a modular, the entire staff, into a permanent structure here on campus,” Knudson said. “It’s testament not only to the work they do for the college, but to our partnership and our trust in Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”
The college now has three deputies, including lead Deputy Dave Pine; 15 trained security officers; and 16 student cadets. Student cadets work alongside the Sheriff’s Department personnel and are trained to patrol campus and assist college staff as needed.
“They’ve done a tremendous job over the last year making sure that the property was safe even though no students were here,” Knudson said.
The Sheriff’s Department has a presence on all three of the college’s locations including the Palmdale Center and Fox Field in addition to the Lancaster campus.
“This really is a great partnership,” Lancaster Sheriff’s Station Capt. Todd Weber said.
Work crews are putting the final touches on the building before it can be occupied.
“It’s a long way from a maintenance shed with some lawn mowers and a time card rack,” Weber said. “That’s the foresight of the administration realizing, how we’re going to keep our students safe and how can we maximize our grounds and available funding and all the stuff that these folks have to take into account. They’ve done a tremendous job with that stewardship and I’m happy to be here celebrating with them today,” Weber said.
Lancaster Councilman Raj Malhi, a former AV College student, was one of several dignitaries at the event who presented certificates of recognition to Knudson. Palmdale Mayor Steve Hofbauer, Drew Mercy, representing Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale; state Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita; and Donna Termeer, senior field deputy for 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, also made presentations.
The security building cost an estimated $9.2 million. It is one of the projects funded by Measure AV, the $350 million bond measure passed by local voters in November 2016. Proceeds from the bond will pay for major upgrades to the Lancaster campus’ facilities, including some that are more than 50 years old.
The campus is poised to add infrastructure, construction of new academic commons, career and technical education facilities, a student services building, gymnasium renovations, three instructional buildings and a fine arts complex. The next campus buildings to open will include the new Marauder Complex and Sage Hall.
Existing and new modular buildings will provide a complex at Marauder Stadium for team locker rooms, restrooms, training space, equipment, laundry, meeting rooms and offices. Seven modular buildings, constructed in two phases, will provide 22,500 square feet of usable space.
Sage Hall will provide instructional space for individual and group instruction, tutoring with a flexible and interactive learning environment that replaces the existing Learning Center facility. Faculty and staff offices, as well as a dean’s office, provide necessary support space. The 32,562 square-foot, two-story building provides classrooms and a computer lab that will provide dynamic mix learning opportunities. The $28.6 million project, which broke ground in June 2019, is estimated completion date is this October.