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Security tightened at courthouse annex
JD SECURITY
While people walk though the front door of the Liberty County Courthouse Annex, LC Sheriff’s Department Lt. Danny C. Pittman asks them to empty their pockets as they walk through a metal detector. - photo by Photo by John Deike
Visitors will notice some differences in the courthouse annex in Hinesville, as thousands of dollars have been spent to increase security in the building.
Eight cameras, five armed sheriff’s deputies and one metal detector at the front door have been added to help ensure the safety of the employees and visitors who arrive to the annex on a day-to-day basis, Assistant County Administrator Bob Sprinkel said.
“This new security is a safety precaution, and it also represents a sign of the times here in Liberty County,” he said. “We have courts that go on here, and this protective system is a step in the right direction.”
Besides the front doors, other doors will be locked down, and computer programmed keycards will be given out to select employees and officials. The cards will only grant them access during designated hours, he said. However, there will be no deputies during after-hour meetings, and the back door will remain unlocked for public entry to these meetings.
The county also introduced this new security as part of a state mandate, which requires the presence of security at buildings like the courthouse and the courthouse annex, Liberty County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Keith Moran said.
“This new security system is a good precursor for the new justice center, which will have similar security settings in place,” LCSD Lt. Danny C. Pittman said. “Also all of my deputies have arrest powers, and they are ready to go to any extreme to protect the public, while they use these facilities.”
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