JP 3 judge urges courthouse security after screening machine left unmanned
Summary
Judge Jackson and JP 3 staff told commissioners they have no staffed security at their courthouse despite a screening machine being installed; they requested either a sheriff‑provided security deputy or at minimum panic buttons and alarms for staff safety.
Judge Jackson told the commissioners that the JP 3 courthouse has no dedicated security staff and that a screening machine purchased earlier remains largely unmanned because no one is assigned to operate it. He said three female clerks are handling front‑desk duties without alarmed backup and urged a solution such as a sheriff‑staffed deputy or a panic‑button alarm to improve safety.
"Everything I've asked for security wise at JP 3 in the last 16 years has been turned down," Judge Jackson said, pressing the court to decide whether to provide funded security coverage. Commissioners responded with a near‑term plan to look at adding panic buttons and to explore whether the sheriff’s office can provide a deputy to staff the courthouse; no motion to add a funded position passed at the workshop.
Why it matters: courthouse security is a public‑safety and personnel safety concern; commissioners must balance the ongoing operating cost of any security position against other fiscal pressures in the preliminary budget.
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