The city's current, temporary contract only lasted 120 days and was set to expire on April 28th.
Both city leaders and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) praised the effectiveness of the additional security patrols, which are in effect daily from 4 am to midnight -- the same hours of GoRaleigh's service -- and said they've functioned as a meaningful reinforcement for RPD. Deputy Chief Rico Boyce said it enabled the department to respond more quickly to crimes.
[Ads /]
"They're able to quickly de-escalate that," he said. "RPD, we do have a presence down there, we quickly check in with them. Overall, it's been a great, like I said, collaboration between the two departments."
The new contract was approved 5-3 and will be in effect for three years at a cost of just less than $590,000 a year. The three councilmembers in opposition pointed to a lack of hard data surrounding engagements between Capitol Special Police and the public and the desire for a more holistic approach to downtown safety.
City Transportation Manager David Walker said the added security has been incredibly well-received by GoRaleigh employees and local businesses. Walker says the measures have helped with employee retention, too.
[Ads /]
"We have received multiple emails over the last two to three months complementing the services and the change in the environment that we've seen down there," said Walker. "Our GoRaleigh drivers' union has spoken out -- they actually got concerned when they saw this going out for bid because they really are in favor of the Capitol Special Police team."
The added patrols are separate from the Downtown Raleigh Alliance's security foot patrols downtown, which also launched last year.
SEE ALSO | City of Raleigh looking to enhance security at parks
$500K security upgrades at Raleigh parks approved