For City Council Meeting July 28, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Mark P. Kling, Chief of Police
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Approve Budget Resolution No. 8550 Amending the 2026/2027 Fiscal Year Budget; (2) Approve a Professional Services Agreement for up to Five Years with Universal Protection Service, LP, dba Allied Universal Security Service for Jail Facility Staffing and Support Services in the Amount of $4,114,654.52; and (3) Authorize the City Manager or Designee to Execute all Related Documents.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Approve a Budget Resolution Amending the 2026/2027 Fiscal Year Budget;
2) Approve a Professional Services Agreement for up to five years with Universal Protection Service, LP, dba Allied Universal Security Service for Jail Facility Staffing and Support Services in the amount of $4,114,654.52; and
3) Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all related documents.
BACKGROUND
The City of Rialto has maintained a continuous contractual relationship for prisoner custody and transportation services at the Rialto Police Department since 2003. These services were originally provided by Wackenhut Corporation, which later became G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc. (G4S). The contractor has provided secure custody and transportation services for incarcerated persons, ensuring continuity of operations and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
On September 8, 2020, the City Council approved an agreement with G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc. to continue providing these services. In 2021, Allied Universal acquired G4S and became the successor-in-interest to G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc. Following the acquisition, Allied Universal continued providing prisoner custody and transportation services under the existing agreement without interruption.
Since 2003, the contractor has consistently provided these specialized services to the Rialto Police Department, supporting daily operations and ensuring the safe handling and transportation of incarcerated persons. Approval of the proposed agreement will allow for the continued provision of these essential services and maintain operational continuity for the Rialto Police Department.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The Rialto Police Department requires specialized prisoner custody and transportation services to support the operation of its jail facility and ensure the safe, secure, and efficient handling of incarcerated persons. These services include inmate booking, temporary custodial holding, prisoner monitoring, transportation to the West Valley Detention Center, and related custodial support functions. The continuation of these services is critical to maintaining compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and operational standards while supporting the Department's daily detention and booking operations.
Since 2003, the City has maintained a continuous contractual relationship for these services, originally through Wackenhut Corporation, later G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc., and currently Allied Universal as successor-in-interest following its acquisition of G4S in 2021. Throughout this period, services have been provided without interruption, allowing the Department to maintain operational continuity and consistent custodial practices. Allied Universal has developed extensive institutional knowledge of the Rialto Police Department's booking procedures, detention operations, transportation requirements, and facility needs, making them a valuable operational partner.
The use of dedicated custody and transportation personnel provides substantial operational efficiencies for the Police Department. By assigning inmate booking, custodial care, transportation, and related detention responsibilities to trained custody personnel, sworn officers are able to return to patrol duties more quickly following an arrest. This significantly increases officer availability, improves response readiness, enhances proactive enforcement efforts, and allows officers to remain focused on their primary public safety responsibilities. These services save valuable personnel hours that would otherwise be spent transporting, monitoring, and processing incarcerated individuals.
In addition to routine transportation services to the West Valley Detention Center, custody personnel perform a variety of specialized functions that support the Department's daily operations. These services include the transportation of juvenile detainees, monitoring and transporting incarcerated persons requiring medical clearance prior to booking, and other custodial responsibilities that would otherwise require the assignment of sworn personnel. By providing these services, the contractor allows sworn officers to remain focused on core law enforcement duties while ensuring the safe and secure custody of incarcerated persons. Staff has evaluated the contractor's performance and determined that Allied Universal continues to provide dependable, cost-effective services that meet the operational needs of the Rialto Police Department. Allied Universal personnel possess specialized training and experience in detention operations and prisoner transportation, enabling the Department to maintain efficient custodial operations while ensuring services are delivered safely and in accordance with applicable standards.
The proposed agreement also increases staffing levels to ensure two custody officers are on duty at all times, compared to the current staffing model of a single custody officer. This enhancement will significantly improve operational efficiency by ensuring that when one custody officer is transporting an arrestee to the West Valley Detention Center or performing other off-site custodial responsibilities, a second custody officer remains at the Rialto Police Department to receive, book, monitor, and supervise additional arrestees. As a result, sworn arresting officers can promptly transfer custody of prisoners and return to field operations without unnecessary delays, increasing officer availability for patrol and emergency response. Additionally, maintaining two custody officers on duty will assist the Department in complying with current Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) regulations requiring the availability of a female custody officer when needed to appropriately supervise and process female detainees, thereby strengthening the Department's compliance with state detention standards and enhancing the overall safety and efficiency of jail operations.
To evaluate available procurement options, staff worked closely with the City's Procurement Division and reviewed the City of Ontario's recently completed competitive procurement process for jail facility staffing and support services. Through Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 1949, the City of Ontario conducted a formal solicitation and selected Allied Universal as the qualified service provider based on its demonstrated experience, qualifications, and ability to provide detention-related services. Following a review of the procurement documentation, staff and Procurement determined that the scope of services, contractor qualifications, and operational requirements contained within the Ontario agreement are substantially similar to those required by the Rialto Police Department. Based on this analysis, staff determined that the agreement satisfies the cooperative purchasing provisions of Rialto Municipal Code Section 2.48.210, allowing the City to utilize a competitively awarded contract from another public agency.
Utilizing the Ontario contract provides a streamlined and cost-effective procurement solution by eliminating the need for a separate competitive solicitation while preserving pricing, terms, and conditions that have already been competitively evaluated. This approach ensures compliance with the City's purchasing requirements, avoids unnecessary administrative costs and delays, and demonstrates prudent stewardship of public resources.
The Rialto Police Department has successfully partnered with Allied Universal and its predecessor organizations for more than twenty years. During that time, these services have become an integral component of the Department's custodial operations. Transitioning to a new provider would require extensive onboarding, training, and operational coordination, creating the potential for service disruptions and inefficiencies during the transition period. Maintaining the current provider preserves institutional knowledge, operational continuity, and a proven service model that has consistently met the Department's needs.
Approval of the proposed agreement represents the most operationally sound and fiscally responsible approach to maintaining prisoner custody and transportation services. These services play a critical role in supporting the Department's mission by ensuring the safe and efficient handling of incarcerated persons while maximizing the availability of sworn personnel for patrol and other public safety functions. By continuing a longstanding and successful partnership through a competitively awarded cooperative purchasing agreement, the City will maintain uninterrupted service delivery, preserve operational efficiency, and ensure continued support for the Department's public safety responsibilities. Staff recommends approval of the proposed agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposal is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The City of Rialto’s General Plan has outlined guiding principles and goals relating to public safety. This action is consistent with the City of Rialto’s General Plan Guiding Principle 1, “Rialto is a Family First Community.”
Our neighborhoods will be a safe place to call home.
Approval of this action is also consistent with the City of Rialto General Plan Goal and Policies:
Goal 5-8: Provide effective and comprehensive policing services that meet the safety needs of Rialto.
Policy 5-8.4: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a Budget Resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Budget and appropriating an additional $336,005.92 from the General Fund Reserves to fund the first-year costs of the Professional Services Agreement with Universal Protection Service, LP, dba Allied Universal Security Service, for Jail Facility Staffing and Support Services. The Fiscal Year 2026/2027 operating budget previously included $425,820.00 in Account No. 10106281-52011 for these services. Approval of the proposed budget amendment will increase the total first-year appropriation to $761,825.92, which fully funds the Year 1 contract costs. The additional appropriated funds will be allocated to Account No. 10106281-52011.
Staff will budget the annual needed funding for each year for fiscal years 2027/2028 through 2030/2031 in the amounts of $791,293.18 for Year 2, $821,562.44 for Year 3, $853,449.94 for Year 4, and $886,523.04 for Year 5, for a contract total amount of $4,114,654.52 in Account No. 10106281-52011 for the obligations due for the Professional Services Agreement with Universal Protection Service, LP, dba Allied Universal Security Service, for Jail Facility Staffing and Support Services.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no impact on the Capital Improvement Budget.
Per Rialto Municipal Code Section: 2.48.450 a vendor disclosure form is attached.
Licensing
Prior to execution of the Professional Service Agreement, the vendor shall submit a business license application and pay the applicable Business License tax, as well as Administration and State fees.
Attachments
1. Allied Budget Resolution
2. Professional Service Agreement Universal Protection Service, LP, dba Allied Universal Security Service
3. City of Ontario Request For Proposal (RFP) Jail Facility Staffing
4. Conflict of Interest Form