Working mom secures safety for students at La Salle

By Teri Olsen
Collegian Staff
April 12, 2006

Diane Harris has been a security guard at La Salle University for the past nine months. Her duties include protecting the property and persons at La Salle University, issuing parking tickets and preserving a safe environment for the staff and students.

According to Associate Director of Security and Safety, Dennis Graeber, “Harris is the best.”

She is a single parent, who lives in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. She has two children, 17-year-old Tiffany and 10-year-old Dareon, and a 20-month-old granddaughter Mya.
Before working at La Salle, Harris was a Philadelphia police officer for five years and security guard at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Germantown. She learned about the position at La Salle from a member of her church.

Harris has her own independent security company, DHarris Enterprises. She does contract security assignments and conducts crime prevention workshops. Harris also sells security and surveillance equipment and self-defense products. She said that the only difference between her position at La Salle and her independent company is that she is armed when working independently.

In additon to being a security officer, single mother, grandmother and businesswoman, Harris is also a student. She will graduate from the Center for Urban Theological Studies in June with a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Ministry. Harris has been attending the Center for Urban Theological Studies part time since 1998.

olsent1@lasalle.edu