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Spokane County officials – by their own admission – have never really tried to defend the courthouse campus from the al-Qaidas of the world.
Instead, they have attempted focus on more of the homegrown variety of terrorists – the Timothy McVeighs, if you will.
But according to a committee of county workers charged with emphasizing security in and around the courthouse, if searches on the first floor are taken away or relocated, the building wouldn’t be safe from a disgruntled teen with a stink bomb.
Superior Court Judge Robert Austin, who heads the security committee, told county commissioners Tuesday morning that eventual plans to relocate a screening station at the south courthouse doors to the second floor would be ineffective.
“You might as well throw it out,” Austin said. “If you eliminate it from the first floor, the security of the entire courthouse is compromised.”
Security at the courthouse has been an ongoing bugaboo since 1996 when the first screeners and metal detectors were put into place, at that time at the west doors where there is wheelchair accessibility. Emptying pockets, removing watches and belts, and sending clipboards and laptop computers through an X-ray machine have been as commonplace at the courthouse as at any airport in the country. But while security has been deemed necessary for the courtrooms, the county courthouse also houses offices for the assessor, auditor and commissioners, among others.
Though inconvenient, judges have said the measure is crucial to protecting those in the courtroom – especially since criminals and raw emotions from trials often mix.
According to a 2001 story in the Spokane Valley News Herald, Olympic Security showed the effectiveness of the screenings at the courthouse in a report. Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 11, 1996, a total of 698 firearms were confiscated. Also seized were 4,000 knives, daggers and other edged weapons; 3,000 mace, tear gas and pepper spray containers; and 300 martial arts weapons.
Austin said the committee believes security at the courthouse isn’t adequate now. Two years ago, then-Commissioner Phil Harris pushed to have the screenings done at the south-facing doors of the courthouse. The west doors remained opened, allowing patrons who enter the courthouse there to walk several yards to the security area. He recommends having metal detectors put back into place on the courthouse’s west end.
“I strongly suggest the security be expanded,” he said.
District Court Judge Debra Hayes, who also sits on the committee, agreed, saying moving the screeners to the south door “compromised the security of the entire building.”
“The first line of defense is to screen everyone at the front door – no exceptions,” she added. “Our clientele consists of criminals.”
According to sheriff’s Lt. Steve Barbieri, another committee member, the first-floor security put potential troublemakers on notice that the county is prepared.
“If we remove the metal detectors, then we open it up to a host of problems,” he said.
Ron Oscarson, director of facilities for Spokane County, said that any changes to the courthouse were part of a long-term plan that is at least two years away when it can be funded.
“We wouldn’t make any changes today,” he said. “It’s a ways down the road.”
County Commissioner Bonnie Mager said she would like to continue discussions and learn more about the issue before making any decisions.
Commissioner Mark Richard said he hoped that all the security issues at the courthouse campus – including parking, key cards and security barriers in drive-up areas – could be looked at thoroughly.
“There needs to be a thoughtful discussion on all these issues,” he said. “Nobody is suggesting to just willy-nilly open up the front doors.”
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By
Mike Huffman
