County considering courthouse searches
Posted: 2/6/04
by Laura Adelmann
Thisweek Newspapers
Dakota County Commissioners unanimously approved some investigation into beefing up courthouse security Feb. 3.
A committee made of county and courthouse staff will review funding and staffing options for adding an entryway metal detector and X-ray machine at the courthouse in Hastings.
Judge Timothy McManus told commissioners 17 of the 18 district judges call increased courthouse security their top concern and he mentioned lawsuits judges have brought in other states to require counties to fund additional courthouse security.
He was quick to add, as was Commissioner Mike Turner, that the local situation is not anywhere near that point.
Apparently the biggest barrier to increased security isn't coming from commissioners, but finding the money to pay for it.
Equipment costs are estimated at about $65,000, and additional staff will add another $144,000 to the department's annual operating costs.
McManus said there aren't enough officers to be in every courtroom, and promoted the doorway screening as the most economical way to increase security.
Concern about the issue increased among judges after one woman was killed and her attorney wounded last September outside the Hennepin County Government Center, he said.
But Judge Rex Stacey, the lone judge opposed to changing security measures according to County Court Administrator Van Brostrom, said deputies currently do a good job and additional courthouse security is an unnecessary expense.
Serving in the court system since 1979, including as a public defender dealing with felony level offenders, Stacey said he has observed nothing that warrants subjecting all who enter a public building to a police search.
"I don't recall anyone ever getting hurt,î he said.
But McManus told commissioners, "It's not a matter of is this going to happen, it's a matter of whenÖThis bench feels very strongly about this.î
Regarding the funding problem, Brostrom announced at the meeting that the department has recently come upon an unexpected "windfall,î which surprised commissioners and County Administrator Brandt Richardson.
Brostrom explained that the court has recently taken over collections of felony and gross misdemeanor fines, money the State Department of Corrections had deemed uncollectible.
Brostrom said out of $1.3 million, the county has successfully collected $150,000. Of that, $50,000 is earmarked for the county.
He added the collections department is beginning to work on obtaining another $2 million due in delinquent fines the state had given up as uncollectible.
However, Richardson said those funds are not reliable or ongoing.
Richardson suggested departmental cuts or cost savings measures need to be implemented to allow the additional security measures.
Another cost-savings possibility is for part-time staffing, but McManus is adamant that the security be full-time, operating in tandem with courthouse hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Chief Deputy Dave Bellows said finding new resources will be difficult.
"It's a pretty austere year already, given the cuts county has experiencedÖwe're willing to do whatever the board says, provided they give us adequate resources. To do it from existing resources is nearly impossible,î said Bellows.
Richardson added, "We need to engage in a discussion to find every nickel in the existing system to put this forth.î
Although the committee has not yet been formed, Richardson said Feb. 4 that he hoped to have a report back to the board by this summer.
Laura Adelmann is at
dceditor@frontiernet.net.
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