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Homeland security will conduct courtroom vulnerability assessment

Staff reporter

With incidents of courtroom shootings making the news, just how safe is the courtroom in the Marion County Courthouse?

A vulnerability assessment will be conducted by personnel of the Department of Homeland Security to identify areas of concern.

Information about the assessment process as part of a statewide project was shared Nov. 1, with county officials in the Geary County courtroom.

Seven Marion County officials attended the meeting with others from Geary, Morris, and Dickinson counties — all part of the Eighth Judicial District Court division.

Doug Cruce, of the office of judicial administration for the Supreme Court of Kansas, presented information regarding the Kansas Court Security and Emergency Preparedness Project.

This project also will address preparedness for natural disasters such as tornado, flood, or fire.

To pay for this study, an $85,000 grant was obtained by the state judicial office and each district and county court system provided a total of $53,000 in matching funds that included in-kind services.

Phase I of the project will be completed when vulnerability assessments are completed.

Phase II will include the preparation of the local component from the vulnerability assessment so improvements may be implemented. Phase III will be the development and implementation of individual plans.

Through the initial plan, standards were identified and a steering committee appointed.

"A lot of the information came from the U.S. Marshal Service," Cruce said, which then was used by Homeland Security.

Cruce stressed that the outcome of the project would not be mandated — at least not at this time.

So, how will these court systems pay for recommended improvements to make personnel and the public safer?

"There is a potential for funding," Cruce said. There also might be some improvements that could be made at a low or no cost to counties or the state.

Currently, the state pays the salaries of courtroom personnel — judge, clerk, probation officers, etc. Counties are responsible for operating expenses which includes providing a facility.

This project couldn't have come at a better time because Marion County Commission is considering the construction of a judicial center which could include a county jail, courtroom, judicial offices, and office space for the county attorney.

Currently, homeland security personnel are making the rounds, visiting all 140 courthouses and judicial facilities in the state. He anticipated the assessors will visit courthouses in the Eighth Judicial District in February or March. Exact dates will be scheduled within the next week or two, Cruce said.

When the assessors have visited all of the locations, the information will be gathered in a report which should be completed within nine to 12 months.

Cruce stressed this was an assessment, not an inspection, and was a benefit to all courtroom personnel.

It also was noted that most courtrooms are located within county courthouses. If there is a breach of security in the courtroom, it could impact the entire building.

Security standards include an online incident reporting system, non-identifiable reserved parking, anti-vehicle obstacles that would prohibit vehicles from driving up to buildings, landscaping considerations to eliminate hiding places that could be used for criminal activities, and limited public access to buildings.

Courtroom personnel would determine the information that would need to be accessed immediately and information that can wait should there be a disaster. Each office would need to be able to restore court data and other necessary information to continue to conduct business.

Cruce recommended the data that is "backed up" or saved on a daily basis should be stored off-site. The data should be restored and examined — just to be certain personnel is familiar with the process.

Even though Kansans probably will not experience a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, lessons from the devastating event can be used.

Court business was brought to a halt, particularly in New Orleans, where it was reported numerous prisoners were released because the court system was not operable. With proper planning, judicial offices could continue to conduct business.

A separate section also addressed pandemic diseases.

The walk-through by homeland security is not open to the public or media, Cruce said, and when the document is completed, it will not be subject to the open records act because of its sensitive information.

Is the level of liability raised because issues are addressed?

"No," said Cruce. "We're probably more liable if we don't do a vulnerability assessment."

Marion County officials in attendance were: commission chairman Dan Holub, commissioners Bob Hein and Randy Dallke, sheriff Lee Becker, health department administrator Diedre Serene, communications and emergency preparedness director Michele Abbott-Becker, and zoning administrator and environmental health director Bobbi Strait. Also in attendance was Michael Powers, Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge.

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