RivCo board to consider hiring security firms to make safety improvements

The Board of Supervisors next week will consider a Riverside County Executive Office request to hire two firms at a total cost of $900,000 to assess and address identifiable security threats to employees and make facilities safer for day-to-day operations.   

The proposed agreements with Salinas-based Aanko Technologies Inc. and Wilsonville, Oregon-based Foresight Security Consulting Inc. are on the board's policy calendar for Tuesday. Each compact, if approved, would be in effect for three years at a "not-to-exceed" price of $450,000 apiece.

"In recent past, some departments within the county have experienced threats made against facilities and employees,'' according to an EO statement posted to the agenda. "These incidents have ranged from threats directed at individual employees to damaging county property and equipment. This growing concern has underscored the urgent need to evaluate the safety and security of the public buildings, parking facilities and employee workspaces.''   

According to the agency, "expert threat assessment services" are needed -- over and above the law enforcement services already available through the sheriff's department -- to handle all of the required evaluations and modifications.

"It is crucial for the county to adopt a comprehensive and coordinated approach to security,'' the EO stated.   

There were no specific examples cited of employees endangered on the job or while going to and from county owned and operated buildings. However, it's possible county Assistant Executive Officer for Public Safety Michelle Paradise will provide additional information when the board hears the matter.

Paradise said that just over 300 vendors who provide security-oriented services were solicited for bids on the contracts, but only the two selected firms followed through.

According to the proposed agreement with Aanko Technologies, the company would provide a thorough assessment of the configurations of county facilities to scope out entrances, perimeters, parking lots and other physical locations where changes might enhance security.

Aanko would also be responsible for improving the county's background check system for employees, examining how visitors are screened, setting up emergency drills and ``incident response protocols,'' as well as establishing self-defense training programs and internal reporting mechanisms to mitigate
potential threats within the county workforce.

Documents indicated Foresight Security Consulting's tasks would somewhat overlap Aanko's with a few redundant assignments, while also changing "badge access control systems,'' which have surfaced recently as a problem, highlighted in an Office of Auditor-Controller report that showed some terminated employees continued to have use of their building badges weeks or months after their dismissals.   Foresight's personnel would also be focused on narrower "workplace impacts'' from domestic abuse and sexual harassment, offering training to employees on how to achieve resolutions.

The firms' three-year contracts, ending Sept. 30, 2027, would be eligible for automatic renewals under the terms spelled out in the Executive Office's proposal.

All of the costs would be covered through the agency's fiscal year appropriations, without drawing down county discretionary income, documents stated.