What to do about courthouse security? The question has been plaguing the commissioners for almost a year now.
On Dec. 31 a grant to pay for the two civilian security guards that man the front door of the courthouse ran out. Since then the county has been paying their salary from its contingency fund. Sheriff John Price has advertised for an armed courthouse security guard three times and has not found a successful applicant.
“It’s not that we’re not getting good people; we’re not getting people with a law enforcement background. We’re going to give them a gun and we want them to be safe,” he said.
The ideal candidate would be a retired police officer who is certified to carry a firearm, he said.
The commissioners batted numerous ideas back and forth about how to fill the position. One suggestion was to talk to Queen Anne’s County to see if they had any extra security personnel they would be willing to let go.
“This is also an opportunity for Queen Anne’s County. They’re looking very closely at their expenditures,” said Commissioner William Pickrum.
Another suggestion was to make the courthouse position an entry level position into the sheriff’s department. Price said a courthouse security guard needs to be at least 21-years-old and have “moral maturity.” He said the county could pay for the firearms certification course if they could find a successful candidate. He cautioned, however, that most people who want to be deputies “don’t want to sit at the courthouse door all day.”
Marty Hale, director of Human Resources for the county, asked if the position could be filled by shifting someone over from the Department of Corrections. Most corrections officers are certified to carry, he said, and as long as the county agreed to backfill the correction officer position he didn’t see a problem in “floating the idea out there.”
The commissioners agreed that all three were viable options and asked Price to talk to Judge Paul Bowman to get his thoughts on making the security guard position an entry level position in the sheriff’s department. They asked Hale to see if any corrections officers would be interested in the position, and to make sure a personnel shift didn’t leave Warden Ronnie Howell under staffed.
Paul Harvey says
I applied for the position of security guard position at the courthouse. Sheriff Price told me that I need certification for firearms from the state of Maryland. Having been in the military police(many years ago) and with unlimited security clearance, I thought that my service record would help speed the search. My volunteer/medical experience might also be a asset . I suggested using mace/pepper spray instead of bullets. I would not like to shoot at someone with all the workers in the building. I understand the salary is $10.00 per hour and no benefits. You are also a greeter as workers enter and you will learn to recognize workers. I might be old but I am only 18 years old with 51 years experience. My health is good and my attitude is great and you don’t have to call me Shirley.
Tom
MBTroup says
I didn’t think my deleted comment was insensitive, but oh well. The crux of it was whether an armed guard is an incremental cost increase versus an unarmed guard (A/P processor versus CPA, paralegal versus esquire). And how many trials are for violent offenders that necessitate an armed guard? Could a deputy backfill the instances where an armed guard is truly necessary?