NCJ Number
203372
Date Published
2003
Length
319 pages
Annotation
This book details state-of-the-art court security operations and technologies, implemented since September 11, 2001.
Abstract
Chapter 1, discusses that courtrooms are often places for reactive offenders and individuals who feel wronged by the criminal justice system, and cautions that courthouses are prime locations for perpetrators to plan attacks, select targets, engage in subversion and sabotage, utilize threats, hoaxes, bombs, and explosives, and take hostages and manipulate the media. In order to thwart such attacks, courthouses must ensure personal and facility security through integrated security systems. Chapter 2, maintains that in order to ascertain what security measures are needed to improve courthouse safety, courthouse officials must conduct security surveys focusing on physical security, protective lighting, lock systems, seals and presses, alarms, metal detectors, intrusion, chemical, and concealed weapons detection systems, and video surveillance systems. Assessing blast mitigation, security robots, x-ray equipment, entry control, security officers, canine operations, and prisoner security are key to evaluating courthouse security measures. Courthouses must have guidelines in place for dealing with hostages and ways to save judges, to detect unusual behaviors in individuals, and to maintain effective emergency medical plans and security and control manuals. Chapter 3, details effective response mechanics focusing on response planning and operations security (OPSEC) as a countermeasure program designed to disrupt or defeat the ability of people to gain the inadvertent release of courthouse violence crisis response plans outside established control procedures. Members of the response planning committee should include the chief planning officer, administration support staff, the chief of courthouse security, logistics officers, facility architects and engineers, courthouse medical personnel, legal representatives, media spokespersons, and environmental safety and health officers. Following a brief description of the components needed in a courthouse violence plan, the book describes the importance of conducting drills and security exercises. Focusing on tactical considerations, chapter 4 details training issues including the use of weapons and medical aids. This chapter discusses the importance of courthouses containing an Emergency Operations Center designed for quick responses to dangerous explosive device and chemical situations. This book concludes that effective courthouse security systems are essential to ensuring public safety. Appendices A-B, Index