Joseph Coppola stresses staff professionalism at Johns Hopkins

Sep 1, 1997 12:00 PM, GEORGE PARTINGTON

Three years ago, the security department at the Johns Hopkins Health System was in need of CPR. Street crime in the immediate vicinity was high, interior thefts were up, and customer satisfaction was low.

Hoping to find an individual who could provide leadership and direction, Johns Hopkins conducted a nationwide search for a new chief of corporate security services. They found the best candidate, Joseph Coppola, in their own backyard, the city of Baltimore.

Coppola, who has been an instructor for the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Baltimore since 1986, is a retired U.S. Secret Service special agent. When he started at Johns Hopkins, he had only a rented desk, a temporary secretary and a contract workforce. Now, he leads a proprietary staff of about 300 well-trained security professionals, whose territory encompasses a 64-acre campus with more than 40 university and hospital buildings.

Bringing in a new staff was a major point of emphasis for Coppola. Before he came on board, the annual staff turnover rate was extremely high, in excess of 100 percent, so he set about actively recruiting high-quality personnel. He saw potential in the young-students at the University of Baltimore-and the old-retired law enforcement officers. Whatever their background, Coppola looks for a few key common denominators: a friendly and courteous demeanor, good verbal and written communication skills and a neat appearance.

The new recruits are given every opportunity to grow. "He stresses training and education, and he supports his staff in those endeavors," says security systems manager George Economas, whose career has prospered along with the security program. "There is a lot of incentive here," says Economas. "For somebody who wants to move forward, this is the place to be."

All new hires receive 40 hours of training, and everyone participates in annual refresher courses. As part of their training, officers learn customer service, which has resulted in high marks on in-house surveys for the security staff. In fact, other departments throughout the health system have begun calling on Coppola for advice on improving customer service.

For those hired for the position of Protective Service Officer (PSO), a program that Coppola initiated, 80 hours of training is mandated. The PSOs, along with off-duty Baltimore city police officers who work part time for Johns Hopkins, are specially recruited and trained officers who patrol the interior streets and perimeter of the campus. "The coverage runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week," notes Economas. The area is patrolled by foot, bike and vehicle. "The exposure, the presence, the deterrent has increased dramatically," says Economas. The security staff has ditched their former patrol vehicle, the Dodge Neon, in favor of the more muscular, maneuverable Jeep, complete with bar lights on top. The result: Street crime is down about 90 percent; arrests and weapons confiscations are up, all despite the close proximity of some high-crime areas.

Another crime problem Coppola has moved to solve are vehicle break-ins at campus parking lots and garages. The increased security presence deters crime in the parking lots, and new emergency telephones in the garages, installed this past April, have served both to reduce break-ins and to assist those in need of immediate medical attention. "So far we have had four medical emergencies brought to our attention by the push of a button, and security has responded in less than two minutes," says Economas.

Coppola, who reports to the presidents of the hospital and university, has also convinced management to invest in a new Software House C-Cure System that is currently being installed, and 70 new card readers to replace an old system that included 30 units. The CCTV system has also been expanded.

Hands-on

As a manager of people, Coppola is demanding, but he is consistent in his demands, so workers always know what is expected. And for those who give something extra, who go above and beyond, he issues on-the-spot awards such as bonds or restaurant gift certificates.

Coppola is also interested in everyone's ideas and encourages people to share them. He has an open door policy for anyone with ideas or problems. "He gets everybody involved," says Economas. "He believes in buy-in." At least once a year, Coppola and his directors, managers and supervisors get together for a day of brainstorming, bouncing ideas off each other until they come up with something they can take back and apply to their work.

Coppola's molding of a neat, courteous and professional guard force and his ongoing efforts to upgrade technology have given the Johns Hopkins security department a new lease on life. "Mr. Coppola has taken a beaten down program and turned it into one that is, by far, one of the best in the industry," says Economas.

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