Posted: 11/9/04
Cameras making courthouse more secure
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The Houston County courthouse is a little safer these days.
The last of 10 new cameras should be up and running by this week.
They have been installed at various spots in the building over the past three months to improve security.
Six more cameras in the Digicam system could be added if necessary.
The images can be viewed on monitors in court administrator Darlene Larsonís office, as well as at three different monitors in the sheriffís office across the courtyard.
Images are also recorded and stored digitally onto a computer hard drive. The recording system is activated by movement, so it records only when it detects movement.
An alarm system has been in place between the courthouse and the sheriffís office for a couple years. The push of a button at various locations in the courthouse can alert the sheriffís office to problems.
Now with the camera system, deputies can see immediately what is going on. ìIf thereís an incident in the courtroom or outside the courthouse, they can act know whatís going on before they walk into a situation,î Larson said on November 4.
She thinks the cameras will prevent vandalism too, and possibly theft from offices with money.
Itís a much needed improvement, Larson feels. ìYouíre like a rat in a maze in this building. Our courthouse is far from secure. But weíve done a good job with what we have.î
Inmates going from the jail to the courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse have to walk outside through the courtyard, enter the east entrance to the courthouse, then go up the east stairwell. The new cameras will help keep track of that.
Deputies in the sheriffís office can monitor court proceedings so that they know when to bring people in for arraignments, county personnel director Tim Comstock said.
ìItís only being done for security purposes,î he said. ìThere isnít any sound recording being created.î
The cameras in the courtroom also help Larson and her staff monitor court proceedings so that they know how the court calendar is moving. That saves her and her staff time from needless running back and forth.
Comstock said the entire system cost about $2,500.
Larson is happy with the system. There havenít been any emergencies yet, she said with a nervous laugh and a mental search for some wood to knock on. She said that some incidents occurred inside and outside the courtroom a few years ago.
ëDouble protectioní
Jail administrator Mark Schiltz reiterated the advantages of the new system, especially the camera in the courtroom. Security there can be closely monitored from the sheriffís office when there is a high profile case with the potential for violence.
ìSo itís double protection,î he said, noting that deputies would already be in the courtroom.
And the recording capabilities would provide a record of events if that happened, he added.
ìI highly recommend it. Itís a good system for the court system and courtroom security,î Schiltz said. He also likes that he can monitor all 10 cameras on his computer screen at the same time.
Lindsay Pierce, the countyís information system co-supervisor, said he likes the extra security that the new system gives. For example, the main lobby on the west side of the building has a pay phone inside, and a drop box outside, which are good to keep an eye on. The new camera does just that.
Someone claimed to have been attacked attacked near the pay phone once, and it was one personís word against the other, Pierce said. A camera recording the incident would have settled the question.
ìIím really pleased with the quality,î Pierce said. ìThe technical support has been fantastic.î
A cable between the courthouse and the sheriffís office was installed underground about two years ago. Pierce was able to put a hub in to split out the camera system, which avoided having to run a new cable between the two buildings.
Pierce said he hadnít used the recording system yet. ìItís nice to have it here before the fact. After the fact is a little too late.î
Pierceís co-supervisor is Carol Hauser. Their job is to install and maintain computer systems and networks.
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