The Peralta Community College District is looking for “one to four firms” to provide security across campus and district facilities. In its official request for proposals, the district writes that it will prioritize vendors who have a proven “community-focused” approach.
Nine security companies have submitted proposals at time of publication, including the district’s current vendor, Marina Security Services. The last request for proposals was issued in Aug. 2023.
In their request, the district says that ideal candidates will have an established reputation of success and a record of working with the many communities served at Peralta.
Proposals must align with the district’s Holistic Safety and Wellness Plan. In accordance with the safety model set forth by Abdul Pridgen, the interim executive director of community safety, security service providers should emphasize personal connection between their personnel and students, faculty, staff, and administration while upholding the district’s restorative justice principles and de-escalation tactics.
Vendor qualifications
The request lays out proposal requirements that it says will support a “non-lethal, non-traditional security layer” at the district.
Qualified providers must have at least five years of security and business experience. The district is “highly interested” in contracting with “small local business […] from the East Bay,” though close proximity to the district is not required.
Security personnel must engage with students, staff and faculty, act as first responders to non-violent situations, train track campus safety incidents, and comply with Peralta’s safety and security goals.
The official request also set expectations for firms to provide 24-hour security to the district, including on-call “wayfinding and escort services.” Peralta will not provide compensation to their security vendors for additional personnel training to meet its requirements.
Selection led by committee
The selection committee will include district faculty, classified staff and managers. Together, the committee will review applications and evaluate each vendor based on the information provided. The committee will use a point system to score vendors. Its criteria rubric is publicly available. According to the rubric, a successful vendor will present cost-effective and thoughtful proposals, provide appropriate objectives and references and have experienced leadership.
The district has the right to reject any or all bids and is not obliged to take the lowest fee. All proposals are due electronically by 2:00 p.m. today
Proposals are accepted online through PlanetBids. All application materials and bids are available to the public on the site.
