INTRODUCING COURT SECURITY AUDITS

THE SECURITY AUDIT– its comprehensive analysis of your court's security will assess your security problems, define your current and likely-future security needs, and recommend a cost-effective security program. It will propose solutions and help you decide which is best and how to achieve it.

AN AUDIT IS VITAL when you have:

  • Suspicions that explosives may be used against your courthouse.
  • Concerns that weapons are being brought into your courthouse.
  • Violent outbreaks in family or domestic courtrooms.
  • Delays getting prisoners to courtrooms.
  • Strangers loitering where they don't belong.
  • Standing room only on traffic days and first appearances.
  • Crowded or unruly small-claims courtrooms.
  • People you don't know bringing suspicious packages into courtrooms.
  • Cases involving street gangs or other violent groups . . .

AUDITS ADVISE ON:

  • The responsibility and authority for security in your court.
  • The main security threats in your court.
  • Where—location-by-location and process- by-process—security is adequate.
  • Where—location-by-location and process- by-process—security is inadequate.
  • Your liability for security inadequacies.
  • Guidelines for adequate court security.
  • Resources you need to establish a reasonable level of court security:
    1. adding sheriff's deputies or non-sworn security officers?
    2. installing weapons detectors, courtroom alarms, video arraignments?
    3. changing court or prisoner-handling policies?
    4. reorganizing space use or renovating the courthouse?
  • The simplest, least-expensive, and most effective improvements for your situation.
  • Ways to reassure staff and citizens about their safety and the integrity of court proceedings.
  • Setting up an effective security committee.

LSC offers an up-to-date, fixed-price, version of services—security (and facility) audits—that have been assisting courts across the country for twenty-five years. Your audit will be conducted by an experienced and reliable security consultant and will emphasize an on- site assessment of your court security problems.

AN AUDIT INCLUDES: an on-site survey lasting up to one week–closing with an exit briefing– and followed by a written report about two weeks later. The report spells out your problems and needs, describes and evaluates the significant choices, and recommends a phased program of steps you can take to realize security improvements.

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