Committee approves unarmed security contract with BK Security after procurement questions

The Muskegon County Human Services Committee approved HS25/09-51 to award security services to BK Security and authorized the HealthWest executive director to sign the contract, contingent on corporate counsel approval.

Commissioners questioned whether the contract would deploy unarmed officers and how staff would respond to an armed threat. Staff replied the contract is for non-physical, de-escalation-focused security staff who will be stationed in lobbies to identify problems early and begin de-escalation; police would be called when necessary. "So it's a non physical approach to de-escalation...this person will stay in the lobby, try and get in front of it...and then start the deescalation process," a staff presenter said.

Members also asked about the procurement: staff explained the process used a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that prioritized qualifications over price, then negotiated price with the top-ranked firm. Keith, one of the scoring staff, said evaluators looked for capacity to meet hours, training practices, staff benefits and relevant experience; the selected firm had prior work at Cherry Street and other systems serving the same population. The committee moved to a vote and the motion passed unanimously.

The committee authorized contracting to BK Security, subject to counsel review and final executive-director signature.