Kalispell business groups look to hire security guards to patrol downtown

A trio of Kalispell business organizations are raising funds to pay for private security guards to patrol the downtown area in an effort to deter what representatives describe as vagrancy, and customer and employee safety.

The guards, contracted through local firm Talos Security, would protect business interests and connect homeless people in the midst of mental health or addiction crises with local social service providers, said Lorraine Clarno, president of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber is working on the effort alongside the Kalispell Downtown Association and Kalispell Business Improvement District. A document circulated to area businesses calls for the raising of $17,000 to pay for security through summer’s end. The guards will not be armed, Clarno said.

“When they come upon someone who is in need they are incredibly compassionate and they know all the social service players and they do an exceptional job of de-escalating,” Clarno said of Talos guards.

The chamber has worked with the company in the past, employing the firm to patrol the former chamber headquarters adjacent to Depot Park. The organization vacated the building in June, citing homeless activity around its offices as interfering with business and creating an uncomfortable environment for visitors.

Chamber officials reported seeing a decrease in vagrancy and safety issues in the downtown park after bringing Talos Security on for night and daytime patrols.

Clarno said that the move to patrol downtown with private security guards would bolster the work of the Kalispell Police Department and social service workers.

“[The police] have limited resources and they respond to emergency situations, they do not have a foot or bike patrol, so we see this as supplementing them,” Clarno said.

Starting next spring, Clarno hopes to see volunteers taking on patrol duties and answering questions for visitors.

The business groups are exploring ways to redirect funds that might be given to panhandlers to fund the community patrol efforts and additional homeless outreach through existing social service providers, reads a notice describing the undertaking.

The chamber also plans to partner with mental health care providers in the fall to provide voluntary training to employees of downtown businesses with the hopes of providing them with de-escalation skills.

Chamber officials said contracting the security firm is necessary to maintain a welcoming environment in Kalispell’s core area.

“Keeping Main Street vibrant is paramount to small business success,” reads the document, which described itself as a “call to action.”

“This is a community issue, and we thought this was a good time for the business community to put their hats on and come up with solutions,” Clarno said.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.

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