| Security has been
a topic of national and local discussion and for several years the Grand
Jury has investigated security at the county courthouses. The Grand Jury,
following inspections of the Hall of Justice and Records (County Courthouse),
Northern Branch Courthouse, Central Branch Courthouse, and Hillcrest Juvenile
Courthouse, has determined that the recommendations of the Grand Jury
in 2002 pertaining to security measures have not been fully acted upon.
Although the Sheriff’s Office agreed that security in the courthouses
should be enhanced, there has been no follow through to see that needed
changes have been made.
Issue: Has the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office implemented
the security plans for the Hall of Justice and Records, Northern Branch
Courthouse, Central Branch Courthouse and the Hillcrest Juvenile Courthouse
recommended by the Grand Jury in 2002? |
| Since 1994, the
Grand Jury has expressed concern over security measures throughout county
buildings, specifically, the Hall of Justice and Records (County Courthouse),
the Central Branch Courthouse, Northern Branch Courthouse, and the Hillcrest
Juvenile Courthouse. In 2002, the Grand Jury report recommended seven actions
be taken to enhance security at the courthouses. The Sheriff responded to
the recommendations as follows:
- The county should develop formal quantitative security standards and
hire an independent third party to test and evaluate courthouse building
perimeter security systems based on those standards at regular intervals.
Sheriff agreed.
- As the security of the court facilities is linked to overall building
security, the current “Court Security Plan”, which was developed in
accordance with the California Rules of Court, should be reviewed as
part of Recommendation 1, above. Sheriff agreed.
- The Sheriff should review existing security standards and make appropriate
changes. Sheriff agreed.
- The Building Security Work Group should meet regularly and require
a representative of the county’s contracted security service to attend.
Sheriff agreed.
- The Sheriff should improve management of the contract security service
by holding quarterly meetings with the county’s contracted security
service to: (1) identify and discuss issues, (2) review progress on
action items, (3) define and reinforce standards for performance evaluation,
and (4) identify necessary contract amendments. Sheriff stated: “I
disagree in part with this finding. While I agree that our goal should
always be to improve and refine the security service, this recommendation
implies that this has not been occurring.”
- The County should install video camera-recorder systems to monitor
the front and rear entrances of the Hall of Justice and Records for
purposes of deterrence, periodic audits, and follow-up investigations.
Sheriff agreed.
- The Sheriff made no response to the recommendation that the County
should require and provide compulsory refresher security training for
all badge holders.
In February 2003, the Grand Jury requested that the Sheriff’s Office provide
specific details of actions taken to comply with the recommendations to
which he agreed in his official response to the Grand Jury report of 2002.
The Grand Jury inspected security at the County Courthouse, Northern Branch
Courthouse, Central Branch Courthouse, and Hillcrest Juvenile Courthouse.
Security staff was interviewed at each location.
|
| The
level of security varies from building to building, as displayed in Table
1.
| Table 1 |
Security
at San Mateo County Courthouses |
|
Security Measure |
County Courthouse |
Northern Branch Courthouse |
Central Branch Courthouse |
Hillcrest Juvenile Courthouse |
| Entrance Checkpoint
Security |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Badge Control
Access |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| External Cameras |
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Corridor Cameras |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Courtroom Cameras |
3 of
22 in Operation |
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Perimeter Alarm |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Where Courtroom
Panic Alarm Sounds |
4th
floor security office and lobby checkpoint |
County
communication County Courthouse |
24 hour
San Mateo County Health Center operator |
Probation
Department at Juvenile Hall |
| Metal Detectors |
Building
Access |
1 of
8 courtrooms |
1 of
3 courtrooms |
1 (common
access) for 3 courtrooms) |
As noted in Table 1, 19 of the 22 cameras in the courtrooms of the County
Courthouse were not operational. None of the cameras can record. No security
personnel were viewing the security monitors at the time of the Grand Jury’s
inspection.
The Sheriff’s response to the Grand Jury’s request, stated:
- A security consulting firm has been engaged to assist with the security
project at the Hall of Justice and Records and the Northern Branch Court.
The consultant’s report determined that due to the amount of training
the Sheriff’s Office received in the area of security, the annual review
of the Court Security Plan, and the Court Security Handbook, that the
Sheriff is the expert in the area of security and should have the final
word.
- Applications for grants or outside funding for upgrade and installation
of security cameras and recorders have been unsuccessful. No further
attempts for funding this project are being taken.
|
- The Sheriff should within the next six months complete the annual
review of the Court Security Plan for all courthouses and present
it to the judges for approval and installation.
County Courthouse
- The Sheriff should immediately, without further delay or waiting
for grant funds, install operational upgraded surveillance cameras
and recorders
- Install, upgrade or repair, the existing system so that monitors
and camera-recorders can view areas in need of security and ensure
that they are constantly maintained.
- Ensure that security monitors are constantly supervised by trained
personnel who can respond as incidents and situations develop.
Northern Branch Courthouse, Central Branch Courthouse and
Hillcrest Juvenile Courthouse
- The Sheriff should install security systems that control the entrance
and egress of the public and that can monitor all courtrooms for safety
and security.
|
