PORT ANGELES — A private security company hired in August to provide security at various county facilities will have its contract expanded to include the juvenile services building.
The Clallam County commissioners are scheduled to consider the contract amendment at their regular session, set for 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. in Port Angeles.
In August, commissioners approved a contract with Norpoint Protective Services of Port Angeles to provide courthouse security through the remainder of 2022. The $46,200 came from unspent deputy salaries.
The amended contract will cost $81,675 and will cover one courthouse security officer for eight hours per day for an estimated 82 work days, a second courthouse security officer for 8½ hours per day for an estimated 82 work days and a juvenile security officer for 11 hours per week, based upon the court schedule. It runs Feb. 7 through April 30.
Chief Corrections Deputy Don Wenzl said the original Norpoint contract was for security services at the county courthouse. Part of the requirement for the sheriff’s office is to be in active court hearings, he said.
“With COVID, juvenile wasn’t super busy, but they are amping their services up again. So we need to get staff out there for the court, Wenzl said.
“So this contract is the first quarter, so it’s just covering up to April and then we reassess it based on jail staffing and see how we are going. And then if we have to extend, we’ll look at doing it at that point,” he said.
County Commissioner Mark Ozias said: “Thanks to Norpoint for being flexible with us. We definitely appreciate that.”
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at brian.gawley@ soundpublishing.com.
