Coast Guard hires private security at Ketchikan base

KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard base in Ketchikan has been operating with tighter security after officials approved a $2 million contract with a Virginia-based company to provide armed security officers.

The Coast Guard approved the two-year contract with Linxx Global Solutions, which specializes in training and security at the federal level. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Chad Lawler said armed gate guards have been staffing the base’s two entrances since October, The Ketchikan Daily News reported.

The Ketchikan base was the Coast Guard’s only base in the country that didn’t have priva...