Commissioners move to remake courthouse security group, consider staff detail and accessibility fixes

Fremont County commissioners agreed to reform the courthouse security committee into a smaller working group with clearer authority and deliverables after hearing staff describe threats, lockdowns and access-control problems.

Commissioner (Speaker 3) said the existing committee had become too large and lacked a charter and clear deliverables and recommended forming a smaller team with specific directives. "We need to form a just a small group and... write down some specific directives and outcomes," the commissioner said.

Staff recounted incidents including threats, lockdowns and assaults on employees at customer counters, and noted practical gaps: too many master keys in circulation, inconsistent room numbering, outdated evacuation flip charts and alarms without clear location guidance. One staff member described the workplace environment: "People spit you and throw things at you... they're not nice to us anymore." The board discussed options including hiring deputy sheriffs on days off to provide on-site coverage (which would require funding) and clarifying whether such hires would be deputized for arrest authority.

Commissioner (Speaker 4) suggested providing orientation materials for new employees that map exits and evacuation procedures. Commissioners asked staff to draft an outline of priorities, potential funding sources and an implementation plan to bring back at a future meeting.

The board did not vote to fund a specific security hire at this meeting but approved a plan to convene a smaller working group, return with recommended authority limits, budget options and a timeline for implementation.

Next steps: a small working group will be formed to define scope, authority and reporting requirements; staff will produce an outline of training, signage, access-control updates and estimated costs for commissioners to consider.