Sheriff recommends continuing single-point entry pilot after June security incident; board approves extension and hour changes

Sheriff's office personnel reviewed the county's single-point entry pilot at the Pine County Courthouse, saying the pilot was set up after a June 8 security incident and that staff were able to mobilize screening quickly because equipment and staffing were in place.

The sheriff's presentation said the pilot allowed the office to deploy mobile screening equipment, improve traffic flow and reduce staffing needs through layout and procedural changes. Staff reported turning away 36 knives in a four-day period during the pilot and said early operational estimates have moved from an initial $53,000 projection to a more realistic $30,000$35,000 increase to the courthouse security budget for the year if continued.

Staff proposed continuing the pilot through at least September or the end of the year to collect more data on staffing, equipment costs, throughput and customer service impact. They also recommended shifting the public entrance opening time from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. to reduce screening hours while keeping staff arrival and sweep windows intact.

Court administration and all three judges expressed support for the single-point entry. The board voted to continue the pilot through the end of the year and to adopt the proposed time-change; staff committed to provide periodic updates and additional reports to the board.

Staff noted remaining issues to resolve, including whether and how to screen staff entrances, handling oversized packages and vendor deliveries, and a box or procedure for temporarily storing personal items. The sheriff said battery-operated metal detector wands and hand screening would be used as a backup if equipment fails.