Private security contractors in black uniforms driving white trucks are canvassing areas of San Clemente where residents and city leaders have raised nuisance and public safety concerns.
An official kickoff to the new patrols was held Monday, July 17, at North Beach, where city leaders spoke about the service operated by Allied Universal Security Services that they said will fill in gaps that deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department have not had time to address.
“San Clemente is not the trailblazer in this program,” said Councilman Rick Loeffler, who spoke at the gathering and, with former Councilmember Gene James, began looking into private security for the city earlier this year. “Numerous police departments, including the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, have utilized security companies in many cases to augment their policing capabilities. We’re just jumping on the bandwagon and seeing the value of extra eyes and boots on the ground.”
The new contract agreed to by the City Council in June will cost the city $350,000 for six months, after which the service will be re-evaluated, officials said. It comes after repeated complaints of public safety concerns and nuisance-related issues from residents who live near North Beach and business owners on Avenida Del Mar who’ve said they have encountered problems in their shops.
Councilmembers were also concerned after the assault of three Marines over Memorial Day weekend by local teens near the San Clemente pier. The council also voted to close the beach two hours earlier at 10 p.m. along with hiring the private security firm in the interim before four new approved Sheriff’s Department deputies can start their patrols later this year.
The private security firm, which has contracts in several other Orange County cities, will play a proactive role, officials said, establishing a regular presence in the busiest areas of town. Private security services are intended to augment the Orange…
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