Sheriff urges more courthouse security staffing as court caseloads and jail population rise

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County Sheriff Chad Hawkins told commissioners Tuesday the courthouse is under-staffed for current operations and again requested additional positions to cover courtroom security, inmate movements and other courthouse duties.

Hawkins presented a summary of an earlier courthouse assessment and data showing rising court caseloads and a higher jail population. “Gaston County Sheriff's Office and detention officers are responsible for processing approximately 1,900 individuals through the main entry of the courthouse on a daily basis,” he said in the presentation packet. He noted the courthouse houses 12 courtrooms used daily and that court security needs vary by courtroom: district court typically needs one deputy per courtroom under “perfect circumstances” and superior court typically needs two deputies per courtroom, with more deputies required for high-profile proceedings.

Hawkins told the board the courthouse’s operating footprint is large — county materials prepared with public-works figures listed roughly 270,000 square feet total (with about 184,000 square feet in regular use) — and that current courthouse sheriff staffing in February showed 21 full-time supervisors, deputies and detention officers assigned to the courthouse. He said the jail population has increased significantly since 2013, from an average daily population of 493 in 2013 to 661 in 2024, creating more inmate transports and court movement duties for sheriff’s staff.

The sheriff described multiple operational responsibilities that consume deputy time: front-entry screening and bag searches (the office lacks an X-ray machine), daily movement of inmates between jail and holding areas, courtroom coverage, security sweeps, three daily money escorts and frequent responses to disturbances throughout the building. Hawkins said some other courthouse offices have increased staff in recent years — the district attorney’s office added five positions since 2021 and the clerk’s office added 14 since 2000 — while courthouse sheriff staffing has not increased proportionally.

Commissioners pressed for detail and context. Several commissioners said they had observed empty courtrooms on afternoon Fridays and asked how deputies are scheduled and whether staff are being maximized. Captain Ben Henderson, on the sheriff’s team, said many courtrooms run in the morning and slow by early afternoon; that does not eliminate other courthouse duties, he said, and judges may extend or alter courtroom schedules on short notice. Deputy scheduling is influenced by judges’ lists: sheriff staff request the courtroom schedule and inmate lists by 4 p.m. the prior day to plan deputy assignments.

Commissioners requested more data to analyze staffing patterns and utilization. Commissioner Scott Sheehan and others suggested a walkthrough on a typical court day and a deeper staffing analysis to identify where deputies are assigned and whether resources can be reallocated. The sheriff said he will provide requested staffing and movement data; he also said five courthouse positions he requested in an earlier budget presentation remain a stated need and that the county had sought to offset some positions through state funding discussions.

Clarifying details from the sheriff’s packet: the presentation lists 12 courtrooms in the Gaston County Courthouse, roughly 184,000 sq ft in regular operation, 13 courtroom spaces with 12 used daily at the time of the packet, jail daily average population of 661 in 2024 (compared with 493 in 2013), and approximately 230 courthouse employees (including staff from multiple offices) who work in the courthouse. Hawkins asked commissioners to review staffing data and consider additional courthouse manpower in future budget discussions.