Banks and City Safe
A company once owned by Deputy Mayor Philip Banks that snared a $150-million city Housing Authority contract has been greenlighted by the Adams administration to qualify for no-bid security contracts at the city’s burgeoning network of migrant shelters.
Philip Banks, a former high-ranking NYPD officer, acquired a security company called Overwatch Services from another former cop, Dwayne Montgomery. Banks and a former NYPD sergeant named Soyini Chan-Shue owned the business as partners, renaming it City Safe Partners. Any changes to that partnership arrangement would require an amended application, but in Overwatch’s case no such amendment was filed.
Lobbying for Admission
In November, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) placed Overwatch on a list of 21 security contractors pre-qualified to bid as minority- or women-owned businesses for both armed and unarmed security guard work at city shelters. In July, Overwatch signed in to a pre-proposal conference run by DCAS, the first step in the process of picking contractors to run shelter security.
Michael Garner, the city’s chief diversity officer, is heavily involved in the city’s MWBE program, including the push to hire security firms for the overburdened shelter system.
Security Guard Firms
Last year, Nature’s Finest Security, LLC of Brooklyn, which is also on the same pre-qualified list as Overwatch, hired a lobbyist to lobby Garner and DCAS officials in the hopes of winning security guard contracts under the MWBE program. The firm’s lobbyist, Kyle Bragg of BMW Government Relations, had a meeting with Garner on September 3, setting up a call to discuss bid opportunities.
Conclusion
The involvement of Deputy Mayor Philip Banks in the approval of no-bid security contracts for Overwatch Services has raised concerns about nepotism and potential favoritism. The use of the MWBE program to hire security firms without going through a competitive bidding process has also sparked questions about transparency and accountability.
FAQs
Q: Why did the Adams administration greenlight Overwatch Services for no-bid security contracts?
A: The administration has not released any official statement explaining their decision, but it has been reported that Philip Banks has denied any involvement in Overwatch Services since 2018.
Q: What is the role of Michael Garner in the MWBE program?
A: Garner is the city’s chief diversity officer and has a long history with the mayor, having served with him in the NYPD.
Q: Are there any concerns about transparency and accountability in the process of hiring security firms for the city’s migrant shelters?
A: Yes, some experts have raised concerns that the use of the MWBE program to hire security firms without going through a competitive bidding process may create conflicts of interest and reduce transparency.
Q: What is the background of Philip Banks’ partners in City Safe Partners?
A: Philip Banks’ partner, Soyini Chan-Shue, is a former NYPD sergeant, and Winnie Greco, the “Chinese American Security Liaison,” has been accused of being involved in illegal fundraising activities.
