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.