Council trims meeting-security staffing and directs RFP after concerns about cost and local contracting

Culver City’s contract for unarmed security and metal-detector screening at City Hall and other city sites drew scrutiny at the April 13 meeting. The current provider operates metal detectors and performs screening at council meetings and city events; staff recommended reducing the number of contracted guards assigned to council meetings from four to three while retaining one sworn police officer to respond as needed.

Security provider representatives in the audience criticized the low hourly pay in the existing contract and suggested the city consider local firms and wage impacts. Chief Jason Sims stressed the policing perspective and recounted past incidents in which weapons were brought into council chambers prior to the security screening program. "We implemented this layered security approach to ensure that weapons... aren't brought into the chambers," he said.

Council ultimately voted — with one member abstaining — to follow the police recommendation to reduce contracted guard staffing by one, direct staff to let the existing contract term out, and initiate an RFP process to identify future security providers and potentially revise the staffing and compensation model.

Councilmembers noted the expense of the current contract and asked staff to consider local contracting preferences and the city’s needs before the RFP returns to council.