On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council will decide whether or not to move forward with potentially hiring a private patrol security company to provide private patrol services in downtown Antioch.
This would be the first step in hiring private patrol security on or near downtown/Rivertown city-owned public parking lots. If approved, it would allow staff to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). This would allow firms to submit their qualifications and once selected, can begin negotiating a cost and services.
According to the Staff Report, over recent months, Downtown/Rivertown business owners have experienced an increased in criminal activities either on or near city-owned public parking lots. It has been requested that a business conduct a presentation to provide information about the Downtown/Rivertown Public Parking Lots Security Plan.
If approved by the City Council, the City will issue a Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) for private patrol security services.
Phase 1:
- Public Parking Lot Security
- Public Parking Lot Camera/Monitoring
Since the city would be requesting an RFQ for services, no cost estimate was provided or timelines.
Note: The staff report is going before the council for a vote without any crime data on police incidents in the parking lots, arrests or data downtown area impact on businesses. The report offers no property loss dollars, vandalism data or data involving transients. The staff report also did not include any benefits or impact data on Antioch Police. The funding source was also not provided.
According to the police crime logs, since October 2, there have been 80 reports of business burglaries within the city of Antioch.
Antioch Police Chief to Meet with Business Owners
A letter recently went out to local business owners with an invitation to a private meeting with the Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford to create a business mastermind group. You are invited to share your ideas on how to deal with the challenges of operating a business in Antioch and how to bring back the joy of doing business in the City of Antioch.
- When: Thursday, December 15, 2022
- Time: 6:00pm
- Where: Community Room at the Antioch Police Department
- 300 L Street, Antioch, CA 94509
- Who are invited: Business owners and representatives
As you are aware, theft, vandalism and personal threats to your safety have increased. The costs of repeated vandalism repairs and the hiring of personal security are both driving businesses out of the city.
The City of Antioch is a beautiful and amazing location to live and have your business here. It is unfair to be driven out of the city by those who do not care if your:
- walls are graffitied
- windows are broken/boarded up
- doors are kicked in/damaged/boarded up
- Roofs are torn apart
- walks to access doors are soiled making customer access difficult
- customers feel uncomfortable
This is not acceptable!
There are far more vandals than there are police, hence the reason that the businesses need to figure out how to work together. Businesses need to put a city-wide plan together and work hand in hand with each other and the police.
Bring your suggestions and ideas to the meeting and let’s start to mastermind a better way to do business within the City of Antioch.
Antioch City Council Meeting
Antioch City Council Seek Three Administrative Assistants
The Antioch City Council will discuss approving an allocation of funds for three part-time secretary positions to provide administrative support for the city council. The item will come up at the December 13 city council meeting where the council will authorize a 2023 general fund budget adjustment for three part-time secretaries with a salary range of $45,000 to $65,000. — Full Story
Council Meeting Info
Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Time: 7:00 P.M. – Regular Meeting
Place: Council Chambers
200 ‘H’ Street
Antioch, CA 94509
Staff Report – click here
5 comments
Those parkinglots along the waterfront have always been a place to avoid. There has nevr been a moment where anyone can enjoy the waterfront without being accosted by assorted miscreants. IT’s well past time to make sure these places are safe and inviting
You are right that data should be included but the eyeball test says it all. If I was a business on the other side of town, I would question why is downtown getting the security and not their area. This is not a bad idea, but another example of staff and a council not thinking this through of creating the have vs. have nots.
So as retailers are getting ripped off every hour of everyday and the city standby because the law says no body is prosecuted unless over a certain amount. Yet right in the face of downtown under Lamar’s chin these problems happen and you want tax payer money to provide security. This is the reason we have police. Increase the blue and put down the law.
I agree. We have police. Hire all the security guards and police you want and arrest everyone. It doesn’t matter if the District Attorney’s Office is not filing cases or holding criminals accountable. Smoke and mirrors by Antioch City Council who are not solving any problems. Just an illusion of safety and business people are smart enough to know it. The only ones who win are the security company who sits back and collects a check.
CCN, you forgot to mention all this crime and vandalism is occurring across the street from the police department. Time and distance is surely not the problem. It is a bigger problem as stated above in the comments and on Facebook.
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