Pulaski County continues work on a few security measures to improve the overall safety of its employees.
In response to state law and concerns brought forward by the Pulaski County Clerk’s office, a committee has been formed to form ideas for implementing the changes. Committee members met for the first time at the end of August and were able to share their progress with the County Council on Monday night.
Circuit Court Judge Michael Shurn is part of the committee. He says
“You’ve got individual employees concerned,” says Shurn. “So what do you do about those individual employees? For example, if you lock down the courthouse like Starke County is, then you move other employees offsite like Marshall County.”
On the list of improvements the security committee has identified is creating awareness of safety procedures among employees.
The next steps are pretty standard, including a single point of entry at the courthouse, cameras in the hallways, and equipment that can detect firearms or other possible weapons prior to entering the courthouse.
To manage this, the committee is recommending two full-time employees to operate the entry equipment for security reasons. That would require approval by the Pulaski County Council.
Shurn reported the sheriff believes it’s expected to cost between $3-thousand and $5-thousand.
“They could train jailers, and I think this was his point: it would be jailers, so we would have numerous employees rotate out for security,” says Shurn.
Installing additional panic buttons for employees was also suggested.
The security committee may also propose increased security at the other county-owned sites, including the highway department, and the justice center for a more comprehensive approach moving forward.
