Security’s cost kept quiet
July 8, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — Amid the secrecy that shrouds the cost of Mayor Gavin Newsom’s police security detail, one city less than 100 miles away has been flouting the price it pays to protect its mayor — and has been asking people to bid on the job.
Now questions have arisen as to why Newsom’s protection costs are confidential while the celebrity mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, has put out a request for a private security company that can beat the $90,000 a year the city pays in police costs to guard the former NBA star.
The idea of farming out security to a private firm was initially proposed by the Sacramento City Council, but the mayor was open to it, said Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Johnson.
In San Francisco, police have yet to release the cost of Newsom’s security detail despite a request from supervisors who were looking to cut the Police Department’s budget. Records requests from news agencies have also gone unanswered.
The department claims releasing the costs would jeopardize the confidential security plan.
Newsom has traveled the state extensively, including for his campaign to be California governor. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi raised doubts that those trips were always mayoral business and has continued to push for transparency.
“If Sacramento can be transparent about their challenging budget needs such as dignitary security for their mayor, then why can’t ours?” Mirkarimi said.
Mayoral spokesman Nathan Ballard deferred all decisions about releasing costs to the Police Department’s judgment and questioned the supervisor’s motives.
“Supervisor Mirkarimi should stop making such a spectacle out of this serious issue just to grab headlines,” Ballard said.
bbegin@sfexaminer.com
