Title
Staff Report for a Resolution Approving Amendment No. 2 for a not to exceed amount of $85,000 to the Consulting Services Agreement with Simpson Investigative Services Group for Police Department Pre-Employment Background Investigations
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Police Department recommends that the City Council:
1) Approve a contract amendment with Simpson Investigative Services Group for a not to exceed amount of $85,000, effective until June 30, 2017; and
2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the amendment on behalf of the City.
BACKGROUND
The Police Department is mandated by state law to conduct a thorough background investigation on all employees, including police officers and public safety dispatchers. Each background check vets the candidate according to California Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (POST) requirements. These background processes require specialized training and approximately 1-3 months to complete. The cost can range from $300-$2,000 per background check, with an average of $1,400 per candidate. The cost of conducting a background check internally is considerably more when factoring in staff time and travel expenses. For these reasons, the department outsources the work. The department’s use of Simpson Investigative Services Group has historically not exceeded the $50,000 purchasing threshold and thus never required City Council approval. Last year, the department entered into a contract not to exceed $49,000 over a two-year contract term, which will end on June 30, 2017. The department anticipates a greater demand for background services this fiscal year, and the current contract limit will not suffice.
Analysis
The department conducted 27 background investigations in fiscal year 2015-16 at a total cost of $37,075. The department has requested nine (9) background investigations already this fiscal year. With current open recruitments and anticipated retirements, staff anticipates the balance of $11,925 remaining on the contract will not be sufficient to carry the department through June 30, 2017. A police background investigation in fiscal year 2015-16 averaged $1,435.
Failure to execute the contract amendment would compromise the department’s ability to deliver upon the City Council’s goal of providing quality public safety service. Staff would seek out an alternative vendor to provide the service, which would result in service delivery interruption and prolonged staffing shortages.
Previous Actions
The Police Department previously conducted the following business related to this agreement:
• 7/1/2015: entered into a one-year contract with vendor not to exceed $30,000;
• 12/15/15: extended contract from one-year to two-year term, and increased contract limit from $30,000 to $49,000 reflected on Amendment No. 1
Fiscal Impacts and Budget Authority
This General Fund program will cost $85,000 through June 30, 2017 and requires no increase to the fiscal year 2016-17 Budget. The increase will be absorbed by existing appropriations in account 010-21-002-5120, requiring no new funds.
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment(s) to Staff Report
• Amendment 1 to Contract - Simpson
PREPARED BY: Scott Koll, Police Business Manager