Campus Safety Officer

Job Description Summary

The Campus Safety Officer is a uniformed, unarmed, Florida Class “D” licensed security professional who protects the life, safety, and property of Saint Leo University students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Officers provide visible patrol, access control, event support, and first response to medical, fire, and safety incidents, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Officers serve as approachable, community-oriented representatives of the University and carry out their duties consistent with Saint Leo’s Catholic Benedictine values of community, respect, and hospitality.

Officers are not sworn law enforcement officers. They hold no greater legal authority than a private citizen and coordinate with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), which has primary law enforcement jurisdiction over the campus, for any incident that exceeds that authority.

Job Description

Patrol and Access Control

• Conduct foot, golf cart, and marked-vehicle patrol of assigned zones, including building and lock checks, residence hall access-control procedures, and documented checks of the Saint Leo Academy residential area.

• Provide escort services, parking and traffic direction, and welfare checks, including missing-student protocols.

• Verify identification of unfamiliar persons, and issue University trespass warnings in coordination with PCSO.

Emergency and Incident Response

• Respond first to fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and medical emergencies; provide first aid, CPR, and AED care within training and certification until Fire Rescue, EMS, or PCSO arrives.

• Respond to fights, alcohol- and substance-related incidents, and mental health crises using verbal de-escalation first, and summon PCSO whenever a weapon, felony, serious injury, or situation beyond private-person authority is involved.

• Support active-threat, lockdown, bomb-threat, and severe weather procedures, following PCSO direction and the University’s emergency notification protocols.

• Provide a clear verbal handoff to responding PCSO deputies and preserve the scene.

Use of Force and Legal Compliance

• Use only the minimum objectively reasonable force, as defined by the University’s Use of Force Policy and Florida law, and de-escalate at the earliest safe opportunity. Officers never carry firearms and never use or threaten deadly force.

• Carry and use OC spray and restraints only while current in certification, and disengage and summon PCSO when a situation cannot be safely resolved.

Event Support

• Staff athletic contests, commencement, orientation, move-in/move-out, concerts, and other campus events, maintaining a visible, approachable presence and assisting with crowd flow, access points, and rapid response.

Minors and Special Populations

• Follow heightened-duty-of-care procedures for Saint Leo Academy students, who are minors, including de-escalation as the required first response and release of minors only to authorized persons.

• Report suspected abuse or neglect of any minor immediately to the Florida Abuse Hotline as a mandatory reporter, in parallel with internal notification.

Documentation, Equipment, and Training

• Write accurate, timely incident, use-of-force, trespass, alarm, and shift reports; submit a Use of Force Report before the end of shift for any force at Level 4 (mechanical restraint) or above.

• Inspect the duty belt, patrol vehicle, and golf cart at the start of every shift, restock used supplies, and tag deficient equipment out of service.

• Complete the 80-hour Field Training Officer program before solo patrol and a minimum of 40 hours of in-service training every calendar year.

• Wear the issued uniform and University ID visibly while on duty and meet grooming standards. Perform other duties as assigned.

AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS

Campus Safety Officers operate as a licensed private security function under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes. Officers may detain a person they directly witness committing a felony or breach of the peace, using reasonable non-deadly force, for the sole purpose of holding the person until PCSO arrives. Officers may not make formal arrests, conduct searches or seizures beyond those available to any private citizen, or pursue fleeing persons into traffic or unreasonable danger.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Current, unrestricted Florida Class “D” Security Officer License (FDACS), verified before an offer of employment and maintained through each two-year renewal.

• Satisfactory criminal history background check, reference verification, and University suitability screening.

• Ability to obtain and maintain CPR/AED/First Aid, OC spray, and restraint certifications during training; no Officer may work a solo post with an expired certification.

• Valid driver’s license and the ability to be certified to operate the patrol vehicle and golf carts.

• High school diploma or equivalent.

• Ability to communicate clearly by radio and in writing, write clear reports, and remain calm and courteous under pressure.

• Willingness to work 12-hour day or night shifts on a rotating squad schedule, including weekends, holidays, special events, and inclement-weather activations.

• For Officers assigned to the Saint Leo Academy residential area: Level 2 background screening under Chapter 435 and Section 1012.32, Florida Statutes.

Preferred

• Experience in security, law enforcement, military, or campus safety, particularly in a residential college or school setting.

• Training in de-escalation, mental health crisis intervention, or Clery Act and Title IX reporting.

• Commitment to serving a diverse student population, including international and first-generation students, in keeping with the University’s Benedictine values.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed outdoors and indoors in all weather and at all hours. The role requires extended periods of standing, walking, and driving; the ability to respond quickly on foot; the physical ability to perform first aid and CPR; and the ability to apply defensive and control techniques as trained. Officers must be able to wear the standard uniform and duty belt for an entire 12-hour shift. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.

ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are a representation of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The term “qualified individual with a disability” means an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of this position.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate professionally in person, over the telephone, through email and other electronic means, move about the office and University, handle various type of media and equipment, and visually or otherwise identify, observe and assess. The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 10 pounds unless otherwise specified in the job description.

NOTICE:

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. Saint Leo University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity as a critical step in ensuring employee, student and graduate success.

Why Work at Saint Leo?

What it’s Like to Work Here: Ask our employees and the one word they’d use to describe working at Saint Leo University is “Community.” Our team members all share the Saint Leo core values, positive attitudes, and problem-solving abilities, enabling them to provide excellent student centered service. Our mission is educating and preparing students for life and leadership in a challenging world. Thank you for your interest in joining the Saint Leo PRIDE!

We are committed to providing our employees with the support they need. At Saint Leo, we offer an array of medical, dental, and vision packages as well as several add-on perks to make your benefits package truly customizable to you and your family needs. Available benefits based on employment status (Full Time vs Part Time).

• FREE Tuition - Employee, Spouse, and Dependents*
• Tuition Exchange Opportunity - Dependent of Employees*
• Generous Paid Leave - Sick, Vacation, and Holidays
• Comprehensive Group Health Plan (Medical, Dental, and Vision)
• Group Medical Plan includes Teledoc, Surgery Plus, Wellness Incentive Program and more!
• 100% Employer-Funded Health Reimbursement Account
• 100% Employer-Paid Short Term Disability Insurance
• 100% Employer-Funded Employee Assistance Program (healthcare and dependent options)
• Employer-provided life insurance
• Discounted On-Campus Dining Meal Plans
• Nationwide Pet Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 403b Retirement Plan
• Wellness Center

*Eligibility based on meeting required service period

2025 ICUBA Benefits Guide_St Leo