Administration and Finance Focus

 

                                                                                                               

ANGELAR JACKSON MOVES UP IN THE RANKS AT UHDPS

It�s going to be a busy fall and the University of Houston Department of Public Safety is getting prepared, putting one of its finest in charge of two of its vital units. Angelar Jackson was recently promoted to UHDPS Manager of Parking Enforcement and Security.

�Angelar Jackson, a.k.a. �A.J.,� has been employed in Parking Enforcement here for almost 26 years,� said UHDPS Chief Malcolm Davis. �She started at the bottom and has worked herself up to the top. Angelar understands the challenges associated with parking enforcement. She has always performed her duties professionally, represents the department in a positive manner, and definitely understands the importance of providing excellent customer service.�

Born in Bryan, Texas, Jackson�s dedication and incredible work ethic could be the result of her family�s influence. Jackson�s father has been a truck driver for over 52 years. Her mother retired after 32 years of service working for Foley�s department store, leaving the day before it was bought out by Macy�s. After graduating from high school, Jackson began her career in campus public safety with the Texas A&M police department doing parking enforcement. After two years of service in College Station, she moved to Houston and joined the UHDPS on November 6, 1985. She received a promotion to the position of parking enforcement supervisor in 2000, a position she held for 11 years. After accepting the managerial position in April 2011, Jackson became the first person ever to hold this leadership position over both parking enforcement and security. Her hard work and dedication had been recognized by Chief Malcolm Davis who has looked to Jackson to lead the merging units.

�Earlier this year, I made the decision to merge Parking Enforcement and Security into a single unit. I was looking for a strong leader who understands our (DPS) role in higher education � maintaining and providing a safe environment for UH students, faculty and staff to learn, work and socialize. A.J. understands the importance of leading by example. Even though A.J. is a manager, you will often see her out in the field in her �high visibility� uniform working alongside her employees. All of us are proud of A.J. and expect great things of her as a manager.�

Jackson has a full staff to lead of around 111 security officers spread across four campuses including the UH main campus, Cinco Ranch, Victoria and Sugarland. Jackson�s security team is the eyes and ears for the campus, stationed at all residential facilities and most of the colleges around campus. All the officers carry radios that can quickly reach dispatchers and wear high visibility shirts in order to be easily identified. Jackson described the security officers as �information centers� and encouraged the campus community to go to her and her staff for help.

�It makes people feel more comfortable that they have someone there to talk to and go to if an incident occurs,� she said. �We�re noticing that as we grow as a university, the demand for officers is growing.�

For parking enforcement, Jackson has a team of 18 officers here at the main campus. With construction and parking challenges anticipated for the fall, Jackson said her team will be out in full force to assist everyone that they can and will be working as diligently as possible.

�Despite what people think about parking, we serve an excellent job because if we weren�t here, this place would be chaos. I think that we don�t get enough credit for what we do,� Jackson said.

Jackson encourages all students, faculty and staff to avoid parking troubles by 1) purchasing a permit ahead of time, 2) getting familiar with signage and parking in the correct lots, and 3) being cautious and compassionate when parking by staying out of handicap or reserved spots. She encourages the UH community to utilize UHDPS services. Her department offers motorist assists for car unlocking, tire changes, gas, and starts as well as security escorts for those who feel unsafe walking to their vehicle or building.

Although security is a new area for Jackson, she said she had gained experience and training through her previous roles at the university. She said her transition into the new position has been excellent so far and she loves what she does. She calls her staff supervisors the experts and said she is constantly learning from them.

�They make my job easy and I appreciate everything they do,� she said. �I couldn�t do this job without them.�

UHDPS Parking Enforcement office hours are daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and UHDPS Security can be reached 24/7 through dispatch at 713-743-3333.