CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: July 15, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Darren Goodman, Chief of Police
Department: Police
Subject: Professional Services Agreement with Universal Protection Service, LP dba Allied Universal Security
Services for Prisoner Custody Transport and Booking
Services in an Amount Not to Exceed $2,750,000 (All
Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Universal Protection Service, LP dba Allied Universal Security Services for prisoner custody transport and booking services, in an amount not to exceed $2,750,000, for a term commencing July 15, 2026 and ending June 30, 2031, subject to annual budget appropriations.
2. Authorize the Director of Finance and Management Services to issue a FY 2026/27 purchase order to Universal Protection Service, LP dba Allied Universal Security Services in an amount not to exceed $511,000.
City Manager's Comments
The City Manager recommends approval.
Executive Summary
The Police Department recommends t approval of a five-year Professional Services Agreement with Universal Protection Service, LP dba Allied Universal Security Services for prisoner custody transport and booking services in an amount not to exceed $2,750,000.
This agreement will allow Allied Universal personnel to transport detainees from the San Bernardino Police Station and other City locations to local jail, medical, and behavioral health facilities, and to provide custody relief during booking, intake, and admission processes.
The service is intended to reduce the time sworn officers spend on booking-related custody coverage and allow officers to return to field service sooner. No additional FY 2026/27 General Fund appropriation is requested. FY 2026/27 costs are funded through existing appropriations in the Police Department operating budget, and future- year costs will be subject to annual budget appropriations.
The purchase order reflects the FY2026-27 authorized expenditure. Future purchase orders will be issued through the annual budget process.
Background
Currently, police officers who arrest individuals or detain individuals for mental health evaluations must complete the booking or admission process before they are relieved of custody responsibility. Based on historical Department data, the booking process averages approximately 1 hour and 44 minutes, including drive time to and from the facility. In 2025, San Bernardino police officers booked more than 4,275 individuals into local jails.
In some cases, detainees with medical conditions require extended treatment before they can be booked into jail, requiring officer custody coverage until the detainee is medically cleared or custody is otherwise transferred. When staffing permits, officers are reassigned from field duties to provide custody coverage. When staffing is limited, this coverage can result in overtime costs.
In January 2026, the Department implemented a temporary custody relief program using two full-time security officers to relieve officers of detainee custody responsibilities and complete the booking process. During the four-month program, the Department estimates that more than 950 officer hours were redirected from the booking process to field availability. Based on the Department’s salary-only calculation, this equated to more than $26,000 in estimated salary value.
Department staff issued Request for Proposals F-26-1047 during the temporary program for a full-service prisoner custody transport and booking solution. The City received five proposals, which were reviewed under the RFP evaluation criteria.
Universal Protection Service, LP was determined to be the most responsive and qualified proposer.
The FY 2026/27 adopted Police Department operating budget includes $700,000 for prisoner custody transport services and related equipment purchases. The FY 2026/27 appropriation is sufficient to cover the first year of service. Future-year costs will be included in the annual budget process and remain subject to Council appropriation.
Discussion
In January 2026, the city posted RFP F-26-1047 requesting proposals from firms able to provide prisoner custody transport and booking services. The requested scope of services included:
•Providing secure transport and booking of detainees between police facilities, county jails, medical facilities, and behavioral health units, including simultaneous transport of up to 10 prisoners.
•Completing all booking, intake, admission, and property handling processes in compliance with Department policies, county jail procedures, and W&I 5150 requirements.
•Providing custodial relief for officers at jail, medical, and behavioral health facilities by assuming responsibility for detainees and completing required processing. •Supplying, supervising, and training security guard staff for transport operations, including scalable staffing coverage and compliance with applicable Board of State and Community Corrections Title 15 standards.
In February 2026, the RFP closed and the City received proposals from five vendors:
•California Patrol Operations INC
•Redwood Private Security LP
•Security Services Northwest INC
•True Liberty Protection Services INC and,
•Universal Protection Service LP
Of the five vendors that submitted bids, three (Redwood Private Security, Security Services Northwest, and True Liberty Protection Services) did not have experience in the requested job specification – the secure transport of prisoners to jail facilities.
These three companies demonstrated experience with security of private and public property. The custody aspect of prisoners is dictated by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), which articulates a need for specialized training in certain disciplines to care for individuals in department custody.
Only California Patrol Operations and Universal Protection Service indicated that they currently perform the scope of work that was defined in the RFP and understand the nuances of the BSCC code. Since this is an area of high-liability potential, these two proven vendors were examined further.
Universal Protection Services is headquartered in Irvine, with their regional office in Riverside. California Patrol Operations is headquartered in Sacramento. Working with vendors in the local area is preferred over those further away as in person interactions are much easier and can take place more consistently. In addition, Universal Protection already works with other San Bernardino County agencies and is familiar with the regulations, norms, and booking procedures at the jails they will be frequenting. Finally, Universal Protection’s cost proposal was substantially less than California Patrol Operations (30% less). This cost savings will allow for the most flexibility and scalability in deployment, which was one of the requests in the RFP.
Below is a summary of the costs submitted by the vendors:
VENDOR
Hourly Cost per
Unarmed Guard
Hourly Cost per
Armed Guard
Yearly Total for Six
Unarmed Guards
(40hrs/week)
Redwood Private
Security
$34.35 $46.72 $428,688
Security Service
Northwest
$65.00 N/A $811,200
True Liberty Protection
Services
$37.50 $48.25 $468,000
California Patrol
Operations
$45.00 N/A $561,600
Universal Protection
Service
$35.07 N/A $437,772
To obtain maximum coverage during peak arrest times (as determined by arrest data), the department seeks to staff two teams (an AM shift and a PM shift), to provide coverage six days per week. Both teams will consist of three unarmed guards. Two guards will be assigned to the jail van and transport prisoners as a group, while the third guard will be assigned a secure vehicle to transport single prisoners that require special care. The yearly staffing budget will include a contingency equal to the salary of one extra guard. This contingency will account for any overtime costs incurred by the primary guard staff and allow for additional temporary staffing to deploy during special enforcement periods or pre-planned events.
The costs associated with this service will be funded through budget allocations that have already been approved for the Police Department. No additional General Fund allocation is required, and this strategic use of existing resources reflects the Department’s commitment to cost-effective, high-impact operational improvements.
Strategic Targets and Goals
This item aligns with Key Target No. 2b: Focused Aligned Leadership & Unified Community — by enhancing operational efficiency through partnerships and innovative staffing solutions. It also supports Key Target No. 3c: Improved Quality of Life — by improving public safety services while reducing the burden on sworn personnel.
Fiscal Impact
No additional FY 2026/27 General Fund appropriation is requested. The FY 2026/27 adopted Police Department operating budget includes $700,000 for prisoner custody transport services and related equipment purchases. The initial purchase order is requested in an amount not to exceed $511,000.
The total five-year agreement authority will not exceed $2,750,000. Future-year expenditures under the agreement will be subject to annual budget appropriations approved by the City Council.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Universal Protection Service LP for an amount not to exceed $2,750,000, with a term beginning July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031.
2. Authorize the Director of Finance and Management Services to issue a purchase order to Universal Protection Service LP for $511,000.
Attachments
Attachment 1 – Professional Services Agreement UPS dba Allied Universal
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
N/A
CC
Eric Levitt, City Manager