The Marshall County Council has finalized an upgrade in security at the Marshall County Building.
State law requires members of the County Sheriff’s Department provide security at the local courthouse, but Marshall County does not provide security at the County Building next door.
During their meeting this week, the County Council considered a recommendation from the board’s Personnel Committee for the Sheriff’s Department to hire someone for the jog. County Council member Steve Harper says it made sense following a recommendation to use the EMA Department, instead.
“There would be a lot of additional training, paperwork that would have to go into that employee and then we still wouldn’t be on the same page as the Sheriff’s Department,” says Harper. “Whereas the Sheriff’s Department handles this kind of thing on a daily basis.”
There are two security officers at the Marshall County Courthouse. Sheriff Matt Hassel has indicated hiring a third officer will allow the three employees to rotate between the two sites.
The change will not take effect until 2017. That’s when the Sheriff’s Department would have the funds available in their fiscal year budget to make the hire.
Harper says making the hire under the Sheriff’s Department has other benefits too.
“It was more homogenous to have it with the Sheriff’s Department,” says Harper. “The fact that they’ll be wearing a recognizable uniform for the public I thought was a deterrent. So I was in favor of that on the Personnel Committee.”
Members of the county government have repeatedly expressed their desire to see their employees protected inside the county building.
The County Council approved making the hire, unanimously.
