Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Kenneth Binder, Sherifff
Subject: Agreements between the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and selected vendors for Pre-Employment Background Investigation Services for Non-Sworn
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the execution of agreements with the following six (6) vendors to provide pre-employment background investigation services for non-sworn candidates pursuant to the Request for Proposal (RFP) completed in March 2026, for the term of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, each in an amount not to exceed the individually negotiated contract maximum, and in a total aggregate amount not to exceed $480,000:
A) KL Private Investigations LLC, in an amount not to exceed $70,000; and
B) Jackson PI Services Inc, in an amount not to exceed $70,000; and
C) Steve Blanc, in an amount not to exceed $90,000; and
D) The Gumshoe Group, in an amount not to exceed $90,000; and
E) Ibarra Investigations, in an amount not to exceed $70,000; and
F) TruView BSI, LLC in an amount not to exceed $90,000.
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BACKGROUND:
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office conducts comprehensive pre-employment background investigations in accordance to established San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office standards and applicable legal requirements to determine the suitability of professional staff (non-sworn) candidates, volunteers, other County of San Mateo departments working within San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office facilities, and vendor security clearances. These investigations are essential to maintaining the integrity, suitability, professionalism, and public trust of the Sheriff’s Office workforce.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office existing contracts for pre- background investigation services are approaching expiration. To ensure continuity of services and ensure adequate investigative capacity, the Sheriff’s Office conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 2026-RFP-00368 in March 2026, through the County’s standard public solicitation platform OpenGov, in accordance with established procurement requirements.
DISCUSSION:
A total of thirteen (13) proposals were received. Following evaluation, the six (6) top scored vendors were determined to meet the qualifications and demonstrate the experience, capacity, and professional standards necessary to provide these specialized services.
The contract amounts for each vendor were determined to reflect each firm’s capacity and anticipated volume of services.
The Sheriff’s Office recommends awarding agreements to multiple qualified vendors to ensure adequate capacity, operational flexibility, continuity of services, and timely completion of investigations. Utilizing multiple providers allows the Sheriff’s Office to manage fluctuating hiring volumes and mitigate service delays should a vendor be unavailable.
The County Attorney has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Awarding multiple vendors provides fiscal flexibility while ensuring service continuity, operational efficiency, help fill critical positions faster and reduce hiring delays.
Timely background investigations ensure qualified employees can begin serving the community sooner while maintaining high public safety standards.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This agreement is for a three-year term in an amount not to exceed $480,000. Funding for this agreement has been included in the Sheriff’s Office FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget.