Gate hours extended at St. Andrews and North Gates
SECURITY UPDATE
GRF Security Director Victor Rocha has implemented changes to the Security Department that will enhance safety and bring a stronger focus on service. Those changes are as follows: Extended gate hours at St. Andrews and North Gates starting Monday, May 22 Currently, GRF’s two side gates open at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. In observing early morning traffic, bicycle and pedestrian patterns, along with input from received from residents, Security will begin opening the gates at 5:45 a.m. and closing the gates at 10:45 p.m. This extra 15 minutes in the morning will especially be appreciated by the early birds, according to Security Director Victor Rocha. The extra 45 minutes at night will also allow residents to quickly access the community while easing traffic at the front gate.
Through strategic deployment and staggering employee breaks and lunches, Security is able to put this program into place without adding any further hours or cost to the Security budget.
New Decal Office hours starting Monday, May 22 Currently the decal office is closed on Sunday and Wednesday, along with being open for a half-day on Saturday. After reviewing traffic patterns of those using the decal office, feedback from residents, and consultation with the executive director, starting Monday, May 22, the Decal Office hours will change. The office will be closed on Sundays and Mondays, and open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Reduced hours of the third party security vendor starting Monday, June 5 The Security Department has been working diligently to phase out the third party security vendor and replace these positions with GRF employees. SECURITY
As expressed in past meetings, hiring and retention has been an ongoing issue for the last three years. It does, however, appear that the last round of hiring has delivered officers that are here for the long haul, along with the slowing of officers leaving due to retirement, medical issues, etc, according to Rocha.
Because of this, Security will be able to cut its third party security vendor by three full time shifts per day, replacing them with GRF employees. This will result in a significant reduction in expenditures that will reflect positively on the bottom line.
