After news broke of Jeff Holzworth’s arrest Nov. 28, the SRJC community was shocked that a trusted member of the district police and a friend of many officials could be accused of embezzlement and grand theft. But once the initial shock subsided, people are now wondering what kind of impact the case will have on the college.

Holzworth had been a part of the SRJC community for 28 years; he was the most veteran officer on the force, a friend to many and the golfing buddy of former SRJC president Dr. Robert F. Agrella. Because of Holzworth’s deep ties to the community, people all over campus were in disbelief.

SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong said many people are shocked and disappointed. “Everybody who knew officer Holzworth was shocked because they’ve known him for many years,” he said. “He was very well liked, always accessible and available.”

Vice President of Business Services Doug Roberts oversees the accounting department and knows Holzworth to be an outgoing, friendly guy. Roberts said a lot of people enjoyed being with him. When asked about the case, Roberts said that it was still too early to determine anything, but if Holzworth had committed the crime then he would be very disappointed in him.

“What I am most disturbed at is the idea of what this is doing to his (Holzworth) family because I don’t think they were in on it,” Roberts said. While two of Holzworth’s close friends, Agrella and SRJC Athletic Director Jim Forkum, declined to comment, assistant head football coach Leonard Wagner chose to focus his attention on how his friend is doing and what type of guy he knew Holzworth to be.

“Jeff Holzworth is my friend. Any time I have needed him he has been there for me, which is what friends do for each other. Because I am his friend, I will continue to support him during him during his time of need,” Wagner said. “In regards to Jeff as a person, he has always been a first class individual. Eager to help and someone you can count on.”

School administrators were not the only people disappointed by the news. Several SRJC students were surprised to hear how such a trusted member of the school could commit such a crime. A few had very strong reactions.

“In my point of view, it seems really desperate. To take that kind of risk, it seems like it was planned out for a long time,” Chris Johnson said. “It’s disappointing he would sink so low.”

SRJC student David Barclay was concerned that Holzworth must have abused some sort of loophole. “No one is going to pay special attention to a cop of 28 years; he must have been really trusted,” he said.

SRJC Student Trustee Michele Dowling was also saddened by the news of Holzworth’s arrest. She acknowledges that the investigation is still on-going but says this incident will not go unnoticed. Dowling said the student government plans to follow this case closely and will publically voice concerns. Her biggest concern at the moment is the enormous structural deficit the college is facing. Dowling said the case couldn’t have come at a worse time as the college cannot risk losing the trust of the community and public support.

“I think we need to strongly question how something like this could have happened, follow through with who is accountable and how we can prevent it from happening in the future by suggesting and implementing improvements to the process and the system,” Dowling said.

The college is already implementing new procedures to prevent future theft. Chong said an internal audit will look at the college’s procedures and safeguards. He said that Roberts is working with SRJC District Police Chief Matthew McCaffrey and a parking committee. And while again Chong stressed that it is still too early to know all the details, he said Roberts will bring in experts in forensics and security if necessary.

“We want to ensure an incident like this doesn’t occur again,” Chong said.

According to Roberts, officials are making quick manual fixes that change the entire collection process. Before the parking money was collected only by Holzworth; now two people will collect the money together to prevent any chance of a missed step in procedure. The college will also take a look at the parking meters and any type of flaw in the system or machine itself.

“We are looking at the age of some of our machines and trying to find out, and of course this is some of the work that SRPD is looking into, is how the machines could be manipulated,” Roberts said.

Roberts also said that because Holzworth was the “expert” when it came to the pay machines, the school has had to find someone new. SRJC is partnering with the manufacturer and local brand representative to understand how the machines work and can be manipulated.

While it is still unknown exactly how long Holzworth is suspected of embezzling and how much money he is accused of taking, Roberts says it is in the best interest of the college to find out the specifics. SRJC does have a crime insurance policy through a joint powers statewide association of community colleges. Roberts said the district does can make a claim once the extent of losses is determined.

The investigation is still fairly new and Roberts understands that people want answers. Roberts is hesitant to point fingers, but said the college is taking all the necessary steps towards preventing this from happening again.