Utah Security Guard Contracts Lacked Written Orders

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A KSL Investigation has found multiple security guard contracts held by the Utah Department of Administrative Services did not include written post orders for the guards posted to the sites.

The DAS team was updating the contracts after a KSL-TV records request revealed multiple state buildings did not have specific written orders in place for the contracted security guards at the sites.

DAS officials said the Olene Walker Building, Heber Wells Building, and the building at 1385 State Street in Salt Lake City lacked written orders. DAS Deputy Director Marilee Richins said state managers likely had informal orders in place.

“That’s a concern,” she said.

Richins’ said the lack of site specific post orders meant the agency could not fully audit the performance of its security guard contractor, Citadel Security, at the facilities.

The locations were spotlighted after an armed Citadel security guard, Timothy Lutes, fatally shot Thomas Stanfield in the plaza outside the Olene Walker and Heber Wells buildings on June 20, 2018 following a fight between the two. The Salt Lake County District Attorney charged Lutes with murder in the incident.

The building located at 1385 State Street was also burglarized the same evening. The three facilities were part of the night patrol routes Lutes worked on for Citadel.

“Where the incidents happened both the shooting and the burglary, neither of those buildings had written post orders,” Richins said.

KSL-TV requested the post orders after reviewing the state’s master contract with Citadel. Taxpayers paid over $2 million to Citadel for security guard services throughout the state in fiscal year 2018. Citadel provides guards to facilities containing the Tax Commission, state liquor stores, and Workforce Service facilities, among others. When the DAS tried to fill the records request at the three facilities in question, it discovered there were no written records.

“I would have expected to see post orders that were written to that site,” Richins said.

As part of its contract review following the shooting, Richins said DAS was working with both of its security contractors, Citadel and Bedrock Protection, to update the contracts and formalize a post order requirement. Richins expected the updated contracts to be finalized by the end of August. Citadel did not respond to an interview request.

Records provided from another building under DAS management show Citadel had a policy in place for its guards to follow when interacting with homeless people. It’s posted here.