By Sarah DeSantis
The News-Item
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By Sarah DeSantis
THE NEWS-ITEM
SUNBURY The Northumberland County Courthouse will see major security upgrades thanks to a $40,000 grant from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). The upgrades will include a new key fob system, nine additional security cameras and a staff entrance at the rear of the building.
The existing security system will also receive infrastructure modernization that will allow county head of security Ron Yeager to view camera footage and data captured at the courthouse at his office the county administration building. Prothonotary Justin Dunkelberger and Register and Recorder Christina “Tina” Mertz said they came up with the idea to seek out the funds after noticing bottlenecks forming at the main entrance of the courthouse. Though some employees have key fobs that allow them in to the building through side doors, most use the main entrance, which also processes more than 5,500 members of the public each month.
“When there’s jury selection, there could be 100 people in that line,” said Mertz. The congestion meant delays for employees who needed to punch in and frustration for visitors who saw employees skipping the metal detector.
Some details on the employee door still need to be ironed out, such as hours of operation, but Mertz said the door will always be monitored by a security camera and employees will not be allowed to let anyone else in. Court Administrator Kevin O’Hearn, who secured the grant through the AOPC, said after the upgrades to the key fob system every employee will be issued a fob that will be programmed to allow access at certain times and areas depending on the job. The system will also track the movement of employees through locked doors. The grant will also be used to install the key fob system on several doors throughout the courthouse, including some in the district attorney’s office that currently only lock from the inside or use a key.
District Attorney Tony Matulewicz said in addition to saving time on not needing to unlock doors while moving through the office, the new system will make his office more secure.
“It adds security because once you shut the door it locks automatically,” he said. The new key fob locking system will also be installed in several other places, like a third floor room used for jury sequestration and a courtroom. Sheriff Robert Wolfe said the new technology will benefit his staff, who face unique challenges in providing security in a historic building.
“Adding modern security components to an antique building such as is our courthouse only enhances the well being of its employees,” he said.
O’Hearn said the addition of the nine new cameras, which will be positioned to observe places that are not fully covered, will provide additional security to employees and visitors alike. He said the volume and mix of people can sometimes cause issues and the added footage will aid security workers in monitoring the crowd.
“I think it’s positive that we’re able to provide more security to people,” said O’Hearn. Dunkelberger said the work has been contracted out and is expected to begin in the next two weeks.
He anticipates the upgrades to be done by the end of January. Though the grant was for $40,000, Dunkelberger said the project is set to come in under budget.
“We aren’t spending all of it because we want to see if there’s any hiccups,” he said. O’Hearn said he was grateful for the AOPC for providing assistance to keep the courthouse safe and secure.
“It’s always good that we don’t have to use county money,” he said. “We appreciate the AOPC for providing this.”