644.371—Contracting for care and custody.
Care and custody of excess and surplus installations should be performed by contract whenever it is legally possible and more economical to do so. Due to the temporary nature of such services and the extreme variations in kind and fluctuations in quality of such services required from time to time, contracting for custodial service will often prove to be more economical and efficient. In contracting for such services which include watchman, patrol and protective services, attention is invited to the prohibition against hiring detective agencies pursuant to the following Act of Congress: “* * * An individual employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, or similar organization, may not be employed by the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia.” (5 U.S.C. 3108 ). This has been construed to apply to employees of organizations which provide services of a detective agency, but not to organizations which are organizations to render watchman, patrol or protective services and do not include detective services as one of their functions (26 Comp. Gen. 303). Custodial and protective services referred to herein are the type ordinarily procured by contract by GSA and other Government agencies charged with the responsibility for care and handling of excess and surplus real property pending its disposal in accordance with the FPMR.