news-record.com

GREENSBORO — Private police officers now patrol two downtown parking decks to help deter crime and false reports of crime during busy weekend nights.

The city hired Lankford Protective Services to provide three armed company officers at the Greene and Davie street parking decks from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The security pilot program is set to run through at least June and may be extended if it is successful.

The officers began work last weekend, said Michael Speedling, interim assistant city manager for public safety and human resources. The Lankford officers are fully certified law enforcement officials with the state of North Carolina, meaning they have the authority to issue tickets and make arrests, Speedling said. “The whole purpose is to enhance safety and security.”

The officers will patrol the decks to decrease loitering, disorderly conduct and prank 911 calls, which comprise most of the complaints coming about the parking decks.

From 2008 to 2009, Greensboro police received more than 2,000 calls about incidents in or around the city’s four parking decks and found that a large number of them were false reports. The Greene and Davie street parking decks were chosen for the pilot because they receive the most traffic during evening hours Thursday through Saturday.

“It relieves the police department of some of the tedious calls that come out of those decks,” Speedling said.

The city already has beefed up security at the decks, installing extra lights, emergency call boxes and security cameras in the past several years.

“People get immune to cameras. They really get desensitized to them,” Speedling said. “Adding the presences on the ground helps.”

One officer will be stationed at each deck with the third patrolling between the two.

The city transportation department is covering the cost of the additional security because the parking decks fall under that department, Speedling said. The full cost won’t be known until the end of the pilot because the days and hours the officers work will be flexible.

Extra days may be added to their patrol as needed. An example would be if there is a special event downtown, Speedling said.

Each officer will be paid about $18 an hour.

The officers will work in conjunction with Greensboro police and have already undergone training with that department, Speedling said.

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jennifer.fernandez@news-record.com