Security a higher priority

In the aftermath of a deadly attack near St. Louis, some wonder if county facilities are safe enough.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT, Times Staff Writer
Published February 9, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - In recent months, government officials across Hernando County have debated fiery issues and heard from some fired-up citizens.

It's little wonder, then, that a tragic attack that left six people dead at a city hall near St. Louis late Thursday had local officials thinking about their own security measures Friday.

"That could easily have been Hernando County or any other place that doesn't have any security in place," said County Commissioner Diane Rowden.

She started her day contacting interim county Administrator Larry Jennings and Pat Fagan, director of the county's facilities, to find the status of plans to beef up security at the Hernando County Government Center.

Fagan said the county tries to have uniformed officers in the commission meetings when they believe issues will be confrontational. But with shootings at schools, malls and now government buildings in the headlines recently, the commission also has agreed to make security a higher priority.

In December, the County Commission approved a security plan that will require everyone who enters the center, including employees, to pass through screening equipment such as metal detectors and X-ray machines.

Fagan said Friday that the design for the new security has been completed and the county is talking to an elevator company about changes to its system.

Screening equipment will be at the east and west entrances to the government center atrium. Another screener will be at one elevator, which will be set to move between the first floor and the parking and handicapped entrance level. The remaining two elevators will travel from the first floor to the fourth.

The county has also ordered doors to close off the second floor bridge that leads to the old courthouse. Only fire access will be permitted in that hallway.

Fagan said the work may take another two months, but in an e-mail to county commissioners on Friday, he said he would vow to open it sooner if he can.

The security work follows last year's project that cost nearly $300,000. Access to the center's 35 exterior doors was secured with a badge key system that allows certain employees access to the building. Video cameras were also added around the government center.

Visitors to the building will see that the computer kiosk near the west entrance of the atrium will be removed next week to make room for the security equipment. The kiosk belongs to Career Central.

There are still some issues the county must work out. For example, some judges ban cell phones from courtrooms but Fagan didn't see a complete cell phone ban for the government center as a probability.

He also said people will have to learn to leave in their cars anything that might be questionable, such as pocket knives.

He predicted that people will be understanding of whatever inconvenience the new screening procedures will bring.

"It can happen anywhere. We're just doing everything we can to make people safe," Fagan said.

Last June, with the Virginia Tech shootings still fresh in mind, the Hernando County School Board voted to post an off-duty sheriff's deputy at all regular meetings as a security measure.

But last week, the board scaled back that police presence, agreeing to post an officer only when controversial agenda items raised the potential threat.

At Brooksville City Hall, there are no specific screenings required to enter public meetings in the council chambers. And Police Chief George Turner didn't anticipate that will change.

"We's always got a police officer in attendance providing security," he said.

Turner noted that people have become more accepting of whatever security measures they have to deal with today.

"They did it with the airlines too," he said, "and everybody realized that they had to do it for safety."

When personnel issues were heating up in Brooksville about a year ago, City Council member Joe Bernardini voiced concern about security at meetings. He knows how public service workers are at risk. In 1996, his then-wife Cathy worked at the drivers license office in Inverness.

A man upset that he did not pass his written test pulled a gun and tried to shoot at her and others in the office. The gunman failed to release the gun's safety latch, so no one was hurt.

Still, Bernardini said that anyone in public service could be tracked down in the parking lot just as easily as attacked in a public building.

"When you have to make decisions, not everyone will be happy," Bernardini said. "Hopefully they'll take it out on you at the ballot box and not literally take it out on you."

Times Staff Writer Tom Marshall contributed to this report. Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or 352 848-1434.

[Last modified February 8, 2008, 19:43:06]