NCJ Number
156802
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 47 Issue: 4 Dated: (July-August 1995) Pages: 13-15
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
As a result of increasingly common violent incidents in courthouses across the U.S., court security is becoming a career for the professional rather than an occupation for the semi- retired.
Abstract
This article describes the court security system developed by the DuPage County Sheriff's Office, in Wheaton, Illinois. The new court security plan was implemented with the opening of a judicial office facility in 1991. The plan includes policies and procedures that prohibited weapons and contraband of any kind from entering the courthouse. These policies are enforced by deputy sheriffs who secure entrance screening posts, patrol hallways, and transport prisoners from the jail to the court and back via a secured hallway. Sworn deputies also perform the functions of the courtroom bailiff. The sheriff's office has developed intensive and specialized training programs for the deputies assigned to courthouse security; the course material is also applicable to anyone involved in any aspect of the court system.