TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Contract Renewal
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider authorizing the General Manager to exercise the first option year renewal of the contract with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office for continued transit law enforcement services.
Staff Contact:
Michael Hursh, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
Initiative - Service Quality
Continuing to contract with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) will allow the District to continue to provide safe and secure operations to its employees, customers, and properties.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
The estimated contract costs are included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2024-25 operating budget and will be included in future budget year requests.
Staff worked with ACSO to negotiate contract terms which will allow the District to maintain minimum operable staffing levels for contracted law enforcement services at $10,487,593 annually.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
The District currently contracts with ACSO for sworn law enforcement services on its buses and at it transit facilities and District properties throughout Alameda County. The current contract is set to expire on June 30, 2024. This new contract would extend services through June 30, 2025.
ACSO has provided high-quality sworn law enforcement services to the District for many years. They are proactive with community policing efforts and connect our most vulnerable riders to social services instead of using incarceration. These services include, but are not limited to, protecting road supervisors and operators, responding to suspicious packages at facilities and on buses, and responding to vehicle break-ins at District properties.
ACSO has provided excellent services to the District, maintaining a collaborative working relationship, which continues to improve, and we look forward to enhanced services to support our operators such as “Coffee with a Cop”, potential ride-along opportunities, participation in National Night Out, collaborative strategic planning to reduce transit worker assaults and other programs to support our employees. The performance of this contract and the effectiveness of ACSO’s work is presented to the Board on a quarterly basis through the Protective Services Report. Based on the audit finding presented to the Board on June 28, 2023, the District has implemented more stringent oversight of the monthly invoicing.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The advantages of continuing to contract with ACSO is provision of vital law enforcement services that are consistent and reliable, with a dedicated police force, specifically for transit-related incidents.
If the contract is not renewed, given the size of our operating area, local 911 law enforcement responses may be delayed, or no responses may be provided at all, due to other competing 911 calls in the service area.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
District staff have considered reducing the number of ACSO staff assigned to the contract. However, that would put bus operators, supervisors, and the public at risk by not having adequate staffing for the service area. It would increase the response time to calls, and limit law enforcement presence at lay-overs. Proactive community policing would be reduced, due to lower staff numbers and competing priorities by responding to calls for service.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
Staff report 21-146
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Prepared by:
Marla Blagg, Director of Safety, Security & Training
In Collaboration with:
Patricia Jacobson, Contracts Specialist
Approved/Reviewed by:
Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer
Shayna van Hoften, Interim General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer
Marla Blagg, Director of Safety, Security & Training
Fred Walls, Director of Procurement and Materials