The Starke County Commissioners are working to upgrade security at the Starke County Annex Building No. 1.
Those attending the commissioners meeting Monday night were greeted by a full-standing security standard metal detector. The apparatus was purchased by Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin out of commissary funds and it arrived in his possession in about two days.
The effort stems from an increased concern across the country of security in government places.
The commissioners plan to create a single-point entry at the Starke County Annex Building No. 1 where a security guard will be present during regular business hours at the lower level entrance facing Pearl Street. Any person entering the building will go through the scanner, similar to the process at the Starke County Courthouse. A third security guard will need to be hired, who will be entered in a three-person rotation with those stationed at the courthouse.
The cost would be about $28,000, but Larry Keiser, the Director of Courthouse Security, recommended eventually hiring a full-time person so the person can be in charge of the personnel schedule and other administrative duties.
Once this process is settled, additional security at the Starke County Annex Building No. 2 will be added.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to provide a recommendation to the Starke County Council members of the addition of a security guard at the Starke County Annex Building No. 1. The funding for the additional officer would come out of the commissioners’ regular CEDIT fund.
The matter will be discussed during the county council’s Dec. 17 meeting.
