School Chief: Outsourcing Security Saves Millions

The state-appointed Detroit school manager says his move to ax the district's security guards and hire a contractor to replace them will save millions of dollars a year.

Robert Bobb said Monday the district will pay about $6.5 million a year to Securitas Security Services USA Inc. The district used to employ 226 guards at a cost of about $11 million a year.

They were terminated effective last Friday.

Bobb says there was a high rate of absenteeism among the guards, and he says the new arrangement will increase safety as well as cut costs. He says the change doesn't affect the district's police officers.

Bobb says the move is part of a $41.7 million safety plan that includes alarms and digital camera surveillance.

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