Overview:
The college hired the consultant after Immigration and Customs Enforcement staged their vehicles on the West Cliff Campus parking lot last December and following recent emergency lockdowns on campus
Santa Barbara City College is hiring a private investigator to help improve campus safety amid concerns over ICE on campus and an increase in lockdowns.
The college hired Kenneth Kushner, a former Santa Barbara Police Department assistant chief of police, to work with Campus Safety to help review protocols and enhance campus security.
He currently works as a private investigator in Ventura.
The Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees approved $70,000 on Thursday, Sept. 10 for the consulting services that will last from Monday until Dec. 31.
“I’m coming in to provide additional leadership support to the Campus Safety Department where needed and to offer an external review of the department’s current practices and procedures,” Kushner told the News-Press over email.
Kushner’s contract with City College is worth $70,000.
Kushner worked with the Santa Barbara Police Department for 25 years. He authored an article in 2024 on emerging public safety technology called, “AI-Enhancing Decision-Making,” with the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
