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Courthouse cameras installed; committee hears concern that hallways lack recorded audio and some alarms are unintelligible
Summary
Staff said courthouse-side cameras are recording video only and that training and procedures are pending for any audio capability; committee members reported a fire-alarm test whose pre-recorded announcement was not intelligible in the clerk's office and asked for steps to ensure buildingwide alerts are heard.
County technology staff told the Public Safety Standing Committee on April 8 that cameras requested for the courthouse side have been installed and are recording video but—at the committee’s request—are not recording audio on the courthouse side. Audio is currently recorded only in the jail, staff said.
Committee members asked whether audio could be enabled remotely during a visible incident between courtrooms. Technology staff said that capability has not been finalized, training with the vendor has not been completed and procedures would be required to avoid capturing private conversations. The committee asked staff to notify the judge, court administrators and other stakeholders after vendor training so everyone can be told accurately what audio capabilities exist and what safeguards will be in place.
Separately, courtroom staff reported that a recent fire-alarm test produced a pre-recorded announcement that was unintelligible in parts of the clerk’s office and some hallways. Staff described hearing indistinct speech in the office and only the final clear instruction to evacuate; others on different floors heard the announcement clearly. Johnson Controls technicians who ran the test told staff the initial problem likely occurred because the tester spoke too softly into the overhead microphone. Committee members asked technology staff to investigate whether additional speakers or speaker placement could improve intelligibility in vaults and offices that receive distorted sound.
Small-courtroom audiovisual upgrades were also discussed. Technology staff said many cameras and some wiring are installed and recording but that the small courtroom’s audio/visual improvements remain on a prioritized work list and staff hope to install improved audiovisual equipment sometime this year.
Why it matters: courtroom and hallway audio, and the ability to deliver intelligible, timely buildingwide alerts, are central to safety and to attorneys’ confidentiality concerns. Committee members asked staff to communicate technical capabilities and planned procedures to judges and attorneys once vendor training is complete.
