Stanton council asks staff to draft private security RFP, review before release

The Stanton City Council on a 4–1 vote directed staff to prepare a draft request for proposals for temporary unarmed private security services and return the draft to the council for review before releasing the RFP. The substitute motion, offered by Mayor David J. Schauffer, instructed staff to include a scope centered on evening and overnight patrols and clear performance metrics and to come back to the council to review the draft RFP.

City Council members framed the proposal as a temporary pilot that would supplement—rather than replace—the Orange County Sheriff—s Department (OCSD). Councilmember John Barrios, who introduced the original proposal, said visible patrols could increase perceived risk for potential offenders and ‘‘provide additional eyes and ears on the ground to report suspicious activities.’'

Supporters said an interim private security presence could relieve pressure on deputies responding to higher-priority calls and help address persistent issues around parks and other public places. Mayor Pro Tem Donald Torres and others asked staff to prioritize measurable reporting requirements, for example logs of contacts, calls to OCSD dispatch, timestamps or photo verification of patrol rounds, and counts of incidents observed and reported. Opponents said the city faces budget constraints and warned private security cannot match law enforcement training and authority.

OCSD leadership spoke at the meeting to flag training and liability differences. The OCSD chief told the council that deputies receive mandated academy and field training and continuing education (including firearms, arrest and control techniques, crisis intervention, and narcotics identification) that private security firms are not required to provide. The chief also said deputies— actions are covered under the county—s existing contract, and that the county bears legal responsibility for deputy actions; private contractors would raise different liability questions for the city.

Councilmembers and staff outlined a draft operational scope to guide the RFP: an initial trial of roughly 48—0 hours per week (proposals discussed ranged from a 48-hour pattern of eight six-hour shifts up to a 90-hour coverage model), unarmed guards who remain in marked vehicles, use of PA systems, reporting requirements (log entries, incident reports, and photo timestamps), and a three-to-six month pilot period. The council emphasized that staff should build in break/relief coverage and require documentation of training and supervision from any vendor.

The council voted on a substitute motion to have staff draft the RFP and return it for council review rather than immediately issuing it. The substitute motion passed with Councilmembers Warren, Barrios, Mayor Pro Tem Torres and Mayor Schauffer voting yes and Councilmember Taylor voting no. The staff will present a detailed draft RFP, estimated costs, and evaluation metrics at a future meeting before any procurement occurs.

The council did not authorize a contract or expenditure at the meeting; it authorized only that staff prepare and return a draft RFP for council review. That draft must outline proposed coverage hours, safety equipment limits (the council specified unarmed personnel and allowed nonlethal self-defense items such as pepper spray), reporting requirements, a pilot timeline, and proposed evaluation metrics for determining program effectiveness.