Deputy to be hired to serve as Logan County Courthouse security

 

[October 15, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

At the Logan County Board Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 9, one focus of discussion was combining Court Security into the Sheriff’s budget.

Chief Deputy Mark Landers talked to the committee about plans hire a full-time deputy to serve as a security officer at the Logan County Courthouse. He said statutorily, you cannot combine the two, but can put a deputy at the courthouse.

Landers said because it will be a full time deputy position, the job will be contractual. He said a senior deputy will probably bid the position, but the salary will replace the deputy on the road, so the difference in pay ends up being less than he previously discussed at the Safety Committee meeting.

Landers said we will have a full time deputy at the courthouse as chief of security and the position will be supplemented, as they already do with part time retired security officers. He said by statute, we are mandated to have a security officer in the courtroom when court is in session.

Landers said this year the security is on track to have 600 fewer hours than in the last few years. He said one security officer went to a different agency, so we have kind of been filling gaps as we can.

Landers said security needs to be increased.

Logan County Board Chairman Chuck Ruben asked Landers to explain the reasons he had shared with the Safety Committee.

Landers said there are several reasons the increased security is needed. One is an increase in violent incidents happening in the courthouse, which have been tracking upward for the last couple years. There have also been multiple incidents of bailiffs being injured. Landers said ordinance violations, increased domestic violence issues and orders of protection, and multiple parties engaging each other in the rotunda have caused other security issues.

Landers said the county has been lucky to have retired detectives and commanders from different agencies willing to take on a full-time position at the courthouse, but it is getting more difficult to find retirees to serve as security officers.

Landers said by putting deputies in place who are certified and taser qualified, we are going to have law enforcement in place that would hopefully help alleviate some of the issues.

Ruben said they may even act as a deterrent, which Landers said is what he hopes will happen.

Landers said we have come a long way in the past sixteen years as far as [courthouse] security, but need to keep making improvements. The Logan County Courthouse is the only Courthouse in the circuit and surrounding area not using sworn personnel for security, so Landers said we are just bringing it up to standard.

Finance Committee Chairman David Hepler said it sounds like something that is still a fluid process if a better system is found.

Landers said this system was in place for a period of time and then Logan County transitioned away from having a deputy in the courthouse and tried the civilian angle. He said, “In my opinion, this method and this process we are going to put in place is going to be significantly better.”
Finance Committee member Gene Rohlfs asked whether some security officers were retiring.

Landers said that two officers are retiring, so the courthouse would be down to one. The new position needs to be in place by December 1.

Ruben said the timing is perfect as that is when the new budget goes into effect.

The motion to put the court security position in the Sheriff’s budget would be brought forward to the whole board.

[Angela Reiners]