Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY HIRING CONTRACTS FOR SWORN AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to:
A. AWARD six task order based on-call bench Contracts for pre-employment background investigations services for a total Not-To-Exceed (NTE) amount of $2,318,122 for the initial three-year base term, plus $838,304 for the first, one-year option, and $871,837 for the second, one-year option for a total NTE cumulative amount of $4,028,263, effective March 1, 2026, subject to the resolution of any properly submitted protest(s) if any:
1. Arroyo Background Investigations (PS135956000)
2. Kentech Consulting, Inc. (PS135956001)
3. Maerly, LLC (PS135956002)
4. National Testing Network, Inc. (PS135956003)
5. North American Security and Investigations, Inc. (PS135956004)
6. Palicon Group (PS135956005)
B. AWARD five task order based on-call bench Contracts for psychological evaluation services for a total NTE amount of $1,184,000 for the initial three-year base term, plus $438,000 for the first, one-year option and $438,000 for the second, one-year option for a total NTE cumulative amount of $2,060,000, effective March 1, 2026, subject to the resolution of any properly submitted protest(s) if any:
1. Integrated Psychological Assessment Services, Inc. (PS135777000)
2. Nancy K. Bohl, Inc. dba The Counseling Team International (PS135777001)
3. Psychological Consulting Associates, Inc.(PS135777002)
4. Robert D. Preijers Psy. D Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Professional Corporation (PS135777003)
5. Susan Saxe-Clifford, Ph.D, a Professional Corporation (PS135777004)
C. AWARD a firm fixed unit rate Contract No. DR138577000 to Galls, LLC to provide uniforms, equipment, and accessories for sworn officers and civilian personnel in the NTE amount of $3,519,787 for the initial two-year base term plus $2,148,033 for the first, one-year option, $2,470,818 for the second, one-year option and $2,763,634 for the third, one-year option for a total NTE amount of $10,902,272, effective March 1, 2026, utilizing Sourcewell cooperative purchasing Contract Nos. 011124-GAL and 091924-GAL.
Issue
ISSUE
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) will be hiring approximately 600 sworn transit police officers and additional civilian personnel, including dispatchers, to support the agency’s new in-house department. To meet this goal, Metro must comply with all requirements of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), including pre-employment background investigations and psychological evaluations. Furthermore, Metro currently utilizes a voucher system for Transit Security Officer uniforms; however, this system is insufficient for the specialized equipment requirements and the rapid onboarding scale of the DPS. A dedicated uniform contract is necessary to support the timely onboarding and professional outfitting of all DPS personnel.
Background
BACKGROUND
As Metro initiates hiring for the DPS, all POST standards and procedures must be followed. Each candidate, whether a recruit or a lateral transfer, must complete a pre-employment background investigation and a psychological evaluation conducted by POST-qualified professionals. Metro currently has contracts for pre-employment background investigation and psychological services for Transit Security Officers; however, these contracts are limited in scope, nearing expiration, and cannot support the scale of hiring required for the DPS.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Metro anticipates hiring approximately 600 sworn officers and support personnel, such as dispatchers, over the next five years to fully staff the DPS. The current labor market for sworn officers is highly competitive, and Metro has learned that, on average, only approximately 10% of applicants successfully complete the full hiring process. Consequently, a substantially larger pool of applicants must be screened than the number ultimately selected for hire. A pool of qualified background investigators and psychological evaluators will be able to accommodate this larger applicant pool in a timely manner, thereby ensuring applicants can move efficiently through the hiring process. As a result, these bench contracts, as well as the Galls contract, will have sufficient capacity to cover background investigative services, psychological evaluations, and uniforms needed by Transit Security Officers and DPS sworn officers.
Pre-Employment Background Investigations
Establishing a bench of qualified firms is necessary to conduct pre-employment background investigations for all DPS candidates. POST requires that investigators complete POST-approved training and adhere to prescribed investigative standards. Since each investigation can take up to two months to complete and involves significant detail, Metro must ensure it has the specialized resources needed to handle the anticipated workload and minimize the loss of qualified candidates to other agencies. To meet the hiring target, Metro will need to process hundreds of candidate applications each year. This could result in dozens of background investigations being conducted simultaneously. Having a qualified bench of firms will ensure Metro can process the anticipated high volume of applicants in a timely manner, thereby enabling candidates to progress through the extensive and time-consuming hiring process.
Psychological Evaluations
Similarly, a bench of qualified firms will be utilized to perform psychological evaluations. POST maintains a roster of approved psychologists who adhere to strict qualifications and reporting requirements. In accordance with POST regulations, only authorized professionals are eligible to conduct pre-employment evaluations for sworn officers. Maintaining multiple POST-approved contractors will ensure that Metro has the specialized resources to handle the anticipated workload and to complete evaluations within established hiring timelines.
For both pre-employment background and psychological services, work will be assigned through the issuance of task orders based on factors such as the firm’s availability, capacity, past performance, and geographic proximity, to ensure that all investigations and psychological evaluations are completed efficiently and in full compliance with POST standards.
Having a bench of qualified psychological evaluators will enable Metro to evaluate candidates simultaneously, ensure it has the capacity to conduct psychological evaluations in a timely manner, and accommodate the large number of applications anticipated. Consequently, Metro staff recommends establishing these bench contracts to provide specialized resources to meet Metro’s hiring goals over the next five years.
Uniforms and Equipment
All recruits attending the police academy are required to wear a basic training uniform, while lateral hires must be issued a full uniform and specialized equipment prior to assuming their official duties. To support the goal of hiring over 100 officers in FY27, Metro is leveraging competitively procured Sourcewell cooperative contracts with Galls, LLC (Galls), specifically for Uniforms and Apparel (011124-GAL) and Body Armor and Related Accessories (091924-GAL).
Sourcewell is a State of Minnesota local government unit and service cooperative created under the laws of the State of Minnesota that offers cooperative procurement solutions to government entities. Galls is a uniform provider specializing in public safety and law enforcement solutions. Their services are utilized by several Southern California law enforcement agencies, including LAPD, LASD, Long Beach, Orange County, and Riverside. Their 'head-to-toe' solutions include duty gear, ballistic vests, helmets, shields, and gas masks. By utilizing their online portal and several retail locations throughout Southern California, Metro can ensure officers are efficiently fitted and equipped to meet the FY27 hiring schedule.
Utilizing these competitively procured contracts with Galls enables Metro to accelerate the procurement process, saving over six months in administrative lead time, while ensuring competitive pricing and maintaining the ability to provide uniforms to sworn officers in accordance with Metro’s hiring goals.
Metro’s procurement policies leverage cooperative contracts to ensure administrative efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This strategy ensures that uniform and equipment availability remain aligned with DPS recruitment and training timelines.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The background investigation and psychological evaluation services provide the capability for Metro to comply with all California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) requirements for sworn officer hiring, ensuring qualified candidates are vetted and hired to patrol the Metro system.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The FY26 Budget includes $350,000 in Cost Center 2617, Office of the Chief of Police, Executive Office, under Project 380008, TCPSD Start-up.
Since these are multi-year contracts, the responsible cost center manager and the Chief of Police and Emergency Management will be accountable for budgeting the costs in future years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for this contract is General Overhead and Operating funds, comprised of Federal, State, and local funds. These funds are eligible for bus and rail operating costs.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
As DPS begins recruiting and hiring sworn officers, candidates must undergo a background investigation and a psychological evaluation. To ensure a bias-free process, staff will adhere to strict POST guidelines and requirements. Background investigators must complete POST-approved training and adhere to prescribed investigative standards. Only psychologists who meet strict qualifications and reporting requirements will conduct evaluations for sworn officers. Similarly, incoming Transit Security Officers must also pass background and psychological evaluations. Requiring candidates to complete background and psychological tests ensures that DPS sworn and nonsworn officers meet the necessary qualifications to successfully perform their duties on the system, as they will regularly interact with Metro’s diverse ridership. The Diversity and Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD) did not recommend a Small Business Enterprise or Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise for any of the contracts due to a lack of subcontracting opportunities.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through operational activities that will improve Metro’s new DPS, further encouraging transit ridership, ridesharing, and active transportation. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendation supports Strategic Plan Goals #2.1: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system; Metro is committed to improving security and #5.6: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization; Metro will foster and maintain a strong safety culture.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may choose not to approve these recommendations; however, this is not recommended because Metro does not have specialized staff to perform POST-mandated background investigations and psychological evaluation services, nor does it have the capability to provide uniforms in-house. Further, failure to comply with POST standards would render Metro’s police officers under the DPS legally uncertified, thereby prohibiting them from exercising essential law enforcement powers such as making arrests and carrying firearms as required under state law.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute the bench Contract Nos. PS135956000 through PS135956005 for pre-employment background investigation services, Contract Nos. PS135777000 through PS135777004 for psychological evaluation services and Contract No. DR138577000 with Galls, LLC for uniforms, equipment, and accessories, effective March 1, 2026.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A-1 - Procurement Summary
Attachment A-2 - Procurement Summary
Attachment A-3 - Procurement Summary
Attachment B-1 - DEOD Summary
Attachment B-2 - DEOD Summary
Attachment B-3 - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Cathryn Banuelos, Chief Administrative Analyst, (213) 922-7650
Imelda Hernandez, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-4848
Carolina Coppolo, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 922-4471
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: William Scott, Chief of Police and Emergency Management, (213) 922-5448
