TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Rachel Johnson, Chief of Police
Christian Eichenlaub, Police Captain
Kelly Benjamin, Police Lieutenant
Julie Dahlgren, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Discussion Regarding Armed Security for Downtown (Police Chief Johnson).
(Estimated Time: 45 Min.)
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report and discuss and provide direction on next steps, if any.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with conducting a discussion of this item. However, once the City Council directs staff on this matter, future-funding appropriations may be required.
BACKGROUND:
On September 6, 2022, the City Council requested a discussion regarding hiring armed security for the Downtown area, as Beverly Hills is currently doing to augment patrols in their Downtown area.
Beverly Hills Armed Private Security Program
In 2020, the City of Beverly Hills encountered unprecedented protest activity, including frequent pop-up protests, weekly planned protests and civil unrest. They were also seeing a significant demand on resources due to increasing crime trends. The Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) examined a variety of options to enhance its services to further its core mission of keeping the community safe. This included hiring two armed private security firms to provide supplemental security in their Business Triangle, at a cost of $1.4 million for an initial term of two months.
Weekly protests continued and the terms of the agreements with the armed private security firms were extended numerous times. In February 2022, because the City was still experiencing events that required ongoing additional staffing, including animal rights protests, repeated smash-and-grab incidents at various retail stores in Southern California, a rise in violent crime in the area, and intermittent protests, agreements with both private security firms were extended through June 2023. BHPD currently retains a full-time complement of approximately 45 full-time equivalent armed guards on an on-going basis at a cost of approximately $6,000,000 for one year (including the cost of patrol vehicles).
Beverly Hills Police Department utilizes the armed guards to provide high-visibility presence and directed patrols, serving as a force-multiplier to their existing sworn force. Contracted armed guards are at fixed posts and on roving patrols throughout their Business Triangle and in nearby residential areas. They also provide armed security during normal business hours at Beverly Hills City Hall and during City Council meetings. They also staff Beverly Hill’s Real Time Crime Watch Center 24/7.
Staff is not aware of any other City-funded armed private security programs like this in Los Angeles County presently.
DISCUSSION:
Manhattan Beach Seasonal Ambassador Program
The City has contracted with Contemporary Services Corporation (CSC) for unarmed event security, crowd management, and traffic control services at large scale special events since 2007. During the pandemic, CSC was used to augment public safety presence through the Ambassador Program, where they were tasked with a variety of responsibilities that included crowd control, face covering education, parking management, and patrol assistance. The Police Department continues to deploy the Ambassadors Program on an as-needed basis in areas like the Downtown and El Porto when crowds are expected, i.e. busy summer weekends and holidays.
Augmenting Police Department staff and volunteers with additional personnel experienced in crowd control, perimeter security, and traffic control has proven to be very successful, for both special events and through the Ambassador Program. The contractor’s staff provides a visual deterrent for inappropriate behavior and criminal activity, while enforcement remains the responsibility of the Police Department. CSC Ambassadors have portable radios that afford them direct contact with the Front Desk of the Police Department if they require assistance or need to report information in a timely manner. During events where large crowds are expected, a CSC staff member is staffed in the Police Department’s Command Post to monitor radio transmissions and work with the Police Department to address challenges as they occur.
Cost Estimate for Armed Private Security Services
The cost estimate for a small armed private security team (one Supervisor and four officers, seven days a week for eight hours per day for daytime coverage) with training, qualifications, and experience comparable to the firms employed by Beverly Hills is approximately $80,000 per month, and approximately $960,000 per year. The officers operate in teams of two and provide directed and roving patrols. The cost includes three patrol vehicles with amber lights (one supervisor vehicle and two officer vehicles). Evening coverage on weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) would cost an additional $14,000 per month and approximately $170,000 per year, for an approximate total annual cost of $1,130,000 per year.
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on next steps, if any.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.