Municipality of Anchorage

Like many things in Alaska, the sheer size of the Municipality of Anchorage, the state’s largest city, is enormous. The jurisdiction has a population of approximately 280,000 and covers a smidge under 2,000 square miles – larger than the state of Rhode Island.

For the last four years, Anchorage has contracted approximately 20 Securitas full-time officers to provide a professional and yet economical security service to supplement to the duties of the Anchorage Police Department.

Securitas officers are staffed at a number of prominent civic centers including Anchorage’s City Hall, the Loussac Library and four recreation centers across the municipality, notes Cindy Comins, a Municipality Contract Administrator. Securitas also provides officers for temporary assignments “anywhere else I need them,” she adds.

Core duties include manning reception desks, reviewing cameras and monitors, and sending out patrols as needed.  Officers are responsible to help ensure facilities are locked and secured and must monitor the fire alarm systems.  In addition, each location has site-specific protocols.   These range from maintaining order at recreation centers to providing special protection for assembly meetings at City Hall.  Securitas also provides two armed senior officers.


Beyond the Call of Duty 

One of the most important benefits Securitas brings Anchorage, however, is not just the professional execution of the post orders, but in the proactive service provided by everyone from the individual officers to the branch and account managers.  “The company goes beyond the call of duty,” says Comins. “The people I work with up here are wonderful and make sure things are done.” 

The contract recently came up for rebidding and again, Securitas came in with the most competitive bid.  Comins notes that the combination of professional service, competitive pricing and the ability to hire temporary service at the contracted rate make Securitas the company to beat.   “I put out fires, and when I need security, I need it right now,” she says.  “Securitas doesn’t have to get back to me; the individuals I work with say ‘fine, anytime.’ I usually don’t get that with contractors; usually, it is beyond their scope.” 

Comins cites a recent event as a case in point.  Last summer, the Municipality brought in Securitas to provide temporary service for the 4th of July festivities in one of the small towns within the municipality.  Traditionally, Comins notes, “this area gets really rowdy. I was thinking it would be better for [Securitas] not to be there, since available troopers would be limited and there was no other back up, but it went well, we had no incidents.  The officers did run into bears – but they handled that well.”

Before the 4th, Comin’s Securitas team came to meetings, put forth suggestions and plans and generally impressed everyone with their proactive approach.  “Securitas puts in the maximum effort.  They want to keep me happy instead of doing a slipshod job.  They don’t try to get around problems – instead they help solve them.  I love having contractors like that; it makes my job easier.”

 

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