To: Board of Supervisors
From: Esa Ehmen-Krause, County Probation Officer
Report Title: Purchase Order with Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. for Backgrounds Investigation Software
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, on behalf of the County Probation Officer, to execute a purchase order with Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $9,938 for the annual purchase of a background investigations software, for the period January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This software will be funded 100% by General Funds.
BACKGROUND:
The Probation Department has used Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. to facilitate Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training background investigations for prospective sworn employees in-house, creating a unit dedicated to completing these background investigations. The purpose of this has been two-fold: 1) to expedite the hiring process and 2) to comply with Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), as codified in 15 U.S.C. Section 1681 et seq., and the California Investigative Consumers Reporting Agencies Act (ICRAA), as codified in California Civil Code Sections 1786.10-1786.40. Using contracted services of an "investigative consumer reporting agency" (ICRA) to conduct investigations and prepare an "investigative consumer report" (which includes a background investigation report prepared for employment purposes on a law enforcement applicant) as opposed to conducting such investigations and preparing reports in-house without using an ICRA may result in compliance with FCRA and ICRAA to provide a copy of the report to the applicant.
Guardian Alliance was selected due to the ease of use of the software as well as a lower pricing model for the same features as a competitor. The software includes a "pre-screening" section wherein an applicant can submit a personal history statement and prelimi...
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