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Ted Wight (pictured with parking manager Nicole Beamer) will retire from USF July 7.
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Wight Leaves Legacy of Professionalism
After four years as director of USF’s public safety department and 30 years in law enforcement, Ted Wight will retire from the university and his career July 7.
But he won’t stop working. USF has asked Wight to act as a consultant in organizing security for the Dalai Lama’s visit in September. “It’s going to take a lot of logistical coordination,” he said, to organize university and city police with state department security. Thousands of visitors are expected to be on campus during the Tibetan leader’s public appearance Sept. 5.
The Division of University Life is currently conducting a search for a new chief. Lt. Kenneth Young will be acting chief.
In his four years at USF, Wight said he helped make USF’s safety crew similar to a municipal law enforcement agency, by requiring his officers to undergo academy training and adding more supervisory roles to each shift.
“It’s all part of an effort to display professionalism, to give the campus community confidence in us,” Wight said. “Hopefully, the department will continue to evolve into a respected part of the community.”
As the head of public safety, Wight also introduced the BART shuttle, run cooperatively with St. Mary’s hospital, and a valet parking service at the Hayes-Healy lot. “We’ve eliminated a lot of the dissatisfaction of people trying to park in that lot,” he said.
Wight said the university has hired an outside consultant to study whether the law enforcement style of safety is best for USF or if another type of security, such as a more casual, observe-and-report protocol, should be instituted.
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