Grand Traverse County hires Allied Universal for courthouse security with paid lunches

Grand Traverse County commissioners moved to replace the courthouse security contractor with Allied Universal after county staff said the current provider had struggled with management turnover and poor performance. The change was aimed at stabilizing coverage at the Historic Courthouse and the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice, where deputies and guards are part of the daily public face of county government.

Parks and facilities director John Chase told commissioners the county wanted a more reliable setup for the court facilities. The debate went beyond simply naming a new vendor and focused on how the work would be staffed, how officers would be paid on the job and whether the county was solving a recurring personnel problem or just changing names on the contract.

Commissioners also separated out security for the Governmental Center for further review, signaling that the county was not treating every building the same. The request for proposals had gone out April 1 and closed April 30, covering security services for the Grand Traverse County Historic Courthouse, the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice and the Governmental Center in Traverse City.

The board ultimately approved Allied Universal with a paid-lunch provision, a detail that matters for the people standing watch inside county buildings. Paying officers during lunch breaks can affect whether a shift is fully covered, how many guards are actually available during the workday and whether the county can keep a consistent security presence without forcing employees to work through unpaid time.

The motion passed by roll call and then went through legal review before the board chair could sign it. Chase said Allied Universal believed it could complete the transition by July 1. A later description of the deal said it was a three-year security contract for the Hall of Justice and the historic courthouse.

For courthouse users, that means the county is betting on a contractor it believes can start quickly and avoid the lapses that drew complaints about the previous provider. For taxpayers, the more important question is whether the county has fixed the reliability problem at the county’s busiest justice buildings or simply outsourced it to a new vendor while leaving the Governmental Center question open.

Grand Traverse County’s nine-member Board of Commissioners, the county’s chief legislative and policy-making body, will continue to oversee the arrangement through its public agendas, minutes and meeting materials. The real test now will be whether the new contract delivers steadier coverage at the doors, in the halls and at the checkpoints where county government is most visible to the public.