Intercity Transit approves security guard contract for $1.6 million. Here’s why
The Intercity Transit Authority — the governing body for the bus transit service — voted this week to renew its contract with a company that provides security guards at several IT locations, including the downtown Olympia transit center.
Intercity Transit has worked with the security company PalAmerican since 2022, according to meeting agenda information. Wednesday’s authority vote renewed the $1.6 million contract for 2026.
The contract was renewed via the “consent calendar,” typically an area of a local government agenda that is reserved for routine matters that are not discussed. Because of that, The Olympian interviewed IT General Manager Emily Bergkamp before the meeting.
The contract calls for an unarmed security guard to provide coverage at a certain location for a period time. For example, IT wants a 24-hour presence at its downtown Olympia Transit Center and at its headquarters on Pattison Street. It also wants a presence 19.5 hours per day on weekdays and 18 hours per day on weekends at the Lacey Transit Center.
The work involves multiple people, although IT spokesman Nick Demerice couldn’t immediately tell The Olympian how many.
General manager Bergkamp talked about security guard expectations.
“They are very helpful with observing and reporting and then also just enforcing what our rules of conduct are,” she said. “We do have rules of conduct that folks need to abide by in order to use our services, and that’s on the bus and at our facilities, too.”
She said if someone is smoking or vaping, for example, the guards will ask them to do it in an area that’s not on Intercity Transit property.
“Or, you know, let’s say someone is irritated because they missed their bus connection, or something like that,” Bergkamp said. “You know, a lot of times the guards are knowledgeable enough of our routes to be able to go and say, ‘Hey, let me help you try to find the best solution.’”
They also are prepared to contact law enforcement in serious situations or contact crisis response units if someone is in crisis, she said.
“Not everything requires law enforcement, sometimes people just need help, so they’re really good at connecting with those folks.”
IT bus driver Ryan Harper spoke to The Olympian at Wednesday’s meeting and said the security guards are “absolutely pivotal” to what they do.
“If we have any issues or concerns, we can focus on keeping the public safe and just driving our buses and rely on them to help us with any issues that arise,” said Harper, who has been driving for more than seven years.
“I would say in all the years I’ve been doing it, I could probably think of like 10 instances where it was like, I absolutely needed them, but they’re there for even the little things,” he said.
Those little things include when someone falls asleep on the bus and rides the entire route, Harper said. A security guard might board the bus — not to kick that person off the bus — but to check on them, he said.
Olympia City Council member Robert Vanderpool, who serves on the IT authority, approved of the contract renewal, adding that it’s a needed service.
“It’s also an insurance policy to make sure that the facilities are safe and people feel comfortable coming to them,” he said. “And I want people to feel comfortable.”
Transit ambassadors
In addition to the security contract renewal, Bergkamp also mentioned that in the last three months, Intercity Transit has introduced a “transit ambassador” program in which former bus operators are riding on some of the city’s busiest routes, such as on Martin Way, a major arterial that passes through Olympia, Lacey and the county, to support bus drivers.
Intercity Transit decided to introduce the program after learning about other transit services that do something similar, she said. They currently have six ambassadors.
“If somebody needs help transferring to another route or happens to get mixed up or turned around in the system, they have the support that they need,” she said. “Or, you know, if there happens to be a situation with, you know, passenger behavior on board, they can help, you know, de-escalate that as well.”
Bus drivers have been trained in de-escalation techniques, but the ambassadors have received an extra course of it, she said. The ambassadors do encounter those with cost-of-living and mental health challenges.
“They know how to identify if someone is in crisis, you know, so we can appropriately hook them up with resources,” Bergkamp said.
Bus driver Harper supports the ambassadors, too, he said.
“You know, if I’m driving, I can’t necessarily be addressing an issue that needs like face to face kind of attention. So, yeah, it’s really helpful.”
