Security Company Faces Roadblocks In Hiring Locals

A Pasadena-based security services agency, has submitted additional information requested by the Pasadena City Council after the Council decided in May to amend the firm’s existing contract by extending the term through next June and increasing the contract to $188,000, $113,000 more than the original purchase order.

In addition to security services covered by a citywide contract approved on July 15, 2019, Select Patrol has also been tasked to provide security services for the Transitional Age Youth (TAY) and Geriatric Empowerment Model (GEM) programs being administered by the Pasadena Department of Public Health at the Jackie Robinson Community Center at 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave.

Darin Williams, president of Select Patrol, has provided the Health Department with the requested additional information related to licensing, hiring and training by the security agency.

Among other things, the Health Department said Select Patrol has preferred to hire Pasadena residents who apply for positions with the company, and has agreed to extend this preference to GEM and TAY program participants.

But the hiring effort has had limited results, the report said, owing to requirements set by the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) for security service positions.

These requirements include a minimum hiring age of 18, an initial $55 application fee for a license with a $40 biennial renewal fee, completion of a criminal history background check through the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and completion of “Power to Arrest” training prior to application, which includes 32 hours of training in security officer skills completed within the first six months of registration and eight hours of ongoing training completed annually.

On its website, Select Patrol said they have opportunities for men and women to join their guard and vehicle patrol teams offering “competitive pay, benefits and incentives.” The agency said they have a vehicle patrol team on a flexible 4/10 work schedule (when an employee works four 10-hour days and then gets three days off each week), with opportunities for advancement and promotion, and a work environment “that respects the individual.”

The Health Department has been running the TAY and GEM programs at the Jackie Robinson Community Center since August 2018 when it received a grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health through the Proposition 63 Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to provide supportive services to people experiencing homelessness.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of participants accessing TAY and GEM program services significantly increased, resulting in an increased need for security services to patrol the site, enforce participant safety protocols, and ensure the safety of participants and staff.

“Without the security services provided by Select Patrol, staff for the GEM and TAY programs would be responsible for security and patrol responsibilities,” the Health Department said. “This would negatively impact the safety of staff and program participants, as well as limit the time available for case management and housing navigation.”

Explaining the fiscal impact of the contract amendment and extension, the department said the expense is eligible for reimbursement by the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health grant, with sufficient funding available in the operating budget to absorb the proposed increase without additional appropriations.