PELL CITY — The St. Clair County Commission could begin considering a plan to heighten security at county courthouses.Commission chairman Stan Batemon said he will ask the commission at today’s work session to consider approving certain measures that could tighten security at the courthouses.
"In light of what happened in Atlanta, I think we have to be a little more pro-active (with courthouse security)," he said Wednesday.
Batemon’s proposal includes security personnel inside and outside the courtrooms.
Under the proposed plan, security posts would be established and law enforcement personnel waiting to give testimony in court cases would man these posts until they are needed in court.
"They are already being paid," Batemon said, adding that this is just utilizing sheriff’s deputies who are at the courthouse anyway. "I think they would rather be doing something other than sitting in court waiting."
Security plans include the installation of metal detectors "as close to the entrance of court areas as possible."
"The larger the perimeter set up for security, the harder it is to control," Batemon said.
He said people who are trained and armed with TASERs will man the metal detector stations.
"I’m going to present that to the commissioners tomorrow," Batemon said Wednesday. "I think we can do it with the minimum number of people."
He said added security personnel will only be utilized when circuit and district courts are in session.
"My argument has been not to lock down the front door," Batemon said, adding that people would have access to other county offices without going through security searches.
He said a card or controlled entry system could be added later to the front entrance of the District Attorney’s Office in Pell City.
Batemon said he will suggest other equipment or surveillance upgrades at the courthouses to commissioners.
Those upgrades would include cameras with alarm capability at key locations, so if a panic alarm was activated, security cameras would record what was happening.
"We have some of that now," Batemon said.
There could be new observation cameras with recording capabilities installed inside and outside the courthouses in key locations, he said.
Batemon said the surveillance cameras would be "system compatible" to allow Internet monitoring. He said that public areas could be monitored by anyone with Internet access.
"You would have to ask yourself, ‘who knows who is watching,’" Batemon said, adding that it would enhance security outside the courthouses.
He said a new security system at the courthouse in Ashville will be installed during renovation of the historic courthouse. Renovation work at the courthouse should start in about 18 months.
Batemon said other security measures, including X-ray machines, have been suggested.
"I can’t buy into that level of restriction," he said. "Security is always a compromise. There really is no end to what kind of security you can have. … I do think some of these moves will make people who go to court feel more secure."
The St. Clair County Commission work session starts at 2 p.m. today, and is open to the public.
