Firm Supplying Armed Guards at US Postal Facilities Holds Oklahoma Security Contracts

The private contractor behind a reported nationwide deployment of nearly 1,000 armed guards to U.S. Postal Service offices holds contracts to guard Oklahoma campuses and monitor security around the Oklahoma County courthouse, public records show.

Prosegur Services Group’s Oklahoma business includes a statewide purchasing agreement for armed security services, a county security arrangement capped at $336,286.88 this fiscal year, and a contract supplying armed guards to Metro Technology Centers campuses in Oklahoma City.

The company’s local footprint comes into focus after Raw Story reported Tuesday that Prosegur is sending nearly 1,000 armed security officers to at least 55 U.S. Postal Service facilities.

The figures come from Frank Albergo, executive director of the Postal Police Officers Association, whose union receives notice when facilities approve additional contract guards.

It’s unclear whether any Prosegur guards will appear at postal sites in Oklahoma.

Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado asked Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale in an October 5 letter to disclose how many armed and unarmed guards have been deployed nationwide, where they are stationed, and what authority they have, including whether they may demand identification, inspect ballots, or restrict public access.

Pettersen also sought information on any White House, Justice Department, or Department of Homeland Security involvement and safeguards against voter intimidation, and requested a response by October 16.

A memo distributed to American Postal Workers Union members – first reported by Colorado Public Radio – said guards are authorized to monitor entrances, verify IDs, patrol, and respond to emergencies, and expressly said guards will not make arrests, portray themselves as police officers, investigate, handle mail, or supervise postal employees.

Postal unions have questioned the guards’ training, supervision, and authority. The Postal Service said the guards protect workers and the mail and disputes suggestions that their deployment is tied to the upcoming November mid-term elections.

Cathy K. Purcell, a Postal Service spokeswoman, told The New Republic that the introduction of armed guards “has absolutely nothing to do with elections” and that deployments have been underway since last year.

The public records reviewed for this story do not establish whether Oklahoma postal facilities are part of the expansion. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Postal Service’s law enforcement arm, told Raw Story it does not disclose specific deployment locations for security reasons.

In Oklahoma County, commissioners approved a renewal on July 1 of a Prosegur contract covering after-hours security monitoring and roving perimeter security at the courthouse complex through June 30, 2027.

The county’s Public Buildings Authority approved its portion the same day, covering roving security in the Metro 1 and Metro 2 parking garages and after-hours camera monitoring.

The records identify a combined ceiling of $336,286.88, with $109,457.92 allocated to the commissioners’ portion and $226,828.96 to the authority’s portion. Those figures reflect the approved spending limit, not money already paid.

The county agenda descriptions do not identify those services as armed guard deployments.

At Metro Technology Centers, the arrangement explicitly calls for armed guards. The district’s board approved continuing Prosegur’s campus security contract June 23 for fiscal year 2027.

Board records describe it as the fourth year of a five-year arrangement awarded through competitive bidding. The renewal item does not state a dollar amount.

Prosegur also has a broader route into Oklahoma government work through the state’s armed security purchasing program.

A state contract summary lists Prosegur’s agreement under statewide contract SW0117, beginning April 23, 2024, and extending through March 26, 2029. The executed agreement provides an initial one-year term with four annual renewal options.

State agencies and other eligible public entities can order services under the agreement as needed. It is nonmandatory and nonexclusive, and it does not establish a single total award value.

Its availability alone does not show how many guards Oklahoma agencies have hired or where they work.

“The introduction of armed guards has absolutely nothing to do with elections.”Cathy K. Purcell, U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman

Prosegur’s connection to that purchasing program predates the current agreement. A September 2021 state addendum assigned an earlier armed security contract held by Superior Security and Investigations of Shawnee to Prosegur.

The company’s postal work also has a substantial history.

A Postal Service inspector general audit published in August 2022, examining fiscal year 2021, described Prosegur security guards at approximately 57 locations nationwide.

Auditors found that 35 of 115 guards reviewed lacked the contract-required background investigation approval.

The Postal Inspection Service changed its requirement to a less stringent investigation in March 2021 but did not update the contract.

The audit also could not verify that selected guards had completed required training. It found inconsistent contractor performance assessments and missing guard hour records at three sites, preventing officials from verifying the accuracy of billed hours.

The inspector general’s website now lists all six recommendations as closed. The findings describe past contract oversight problems and do not show the same deficiencies in today’s deployments or Oklahoma’s separate agreements.

Raw Story reported allegations by postal workers and union officials that Prosegur guards assaulted and harassed employees at Charlotte, North Carolina-area facilities.

Prosegur spokesman Fernando Geijo told Raw Story the company could not find the incidents or complaints described in its inquiry and could not discuss its postal account for confidentiality reasons.

Oklahoma’s statewide agreement requires Prosegur to submit quarterly usage reports identifying each purchasing entity, the service location, the type of service, quantities, and prices charged.

Anthony Kimery is an Oklahoma City-based journalist. He can be reached at anthony@inteliscopx.com

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