[F]our Vermont judges have flagged courthouse security as a major issue in the state’s judicial system.
The concerns were raised last week when the four judges appeared before lawmakers during hearings to decide whether they should stay in their posts.
Superior Court Judge Helen Toor said she believes “it’s really urgent” to have equal security across all of Vermont’s courthouses. Currently, security varies from county to county, as well as the type of court.
“I know that money is an issue, but ideally there should be a person in every courthouse whose sole job is security,” Toor told the panel of lawmakers.
Environmental Judge Thomas Durkin said he too worries that courthouses do not have enough security.
“We’re in the dispute resolution business,” Durkin said. “They don’t come to our shop unless they have a dispute, and some people come with very, very strong emotions.”
Superior Court Judges Robert Mello and David Howard also spoke about security. Howard said there was an incident in court when he was presiding earlier this week, and he believed the only reason it didn’t get worse was because there were two local police officers there to help.
Court security has been a topic of increased scrutiny recently in the wake of the shooting death of social worker Lara Sobel outside the Department for Children and Families office building in downtown Barre. The parking lot is near the building that houses the family and criminal courts for Washington County.
In the report submitted to the Legislature last week, judiciary officials recommended an increase in their operating budget of $1.8 million in order to fund 35 new court officer positions.
The report also recommends investing $2.1 million in security infrastructure across Vermont’s courthouses. The investment would be made out of the capital bill beginning in fiscal year 2017 and in increments over the next few years.
The infrastructure investment would include replacing outdated X-ray machines, installing new metal detectors, surveillance cameras and other measures.
Court Administrator Pat Gabel said the comments from the four judges reaffirmed the need for investing in court security.
Sen. Peg Flory, R-Rutland, who sits on the judicial retention panel, chairs Senate Institutions — one of the legislative committees charged with overseeing state building security.
Flory said that discussions about increasing courthouse security raised broader questions about safety in society.
“We talk about protecting the court personnel, but I keep think about the horrible death of our social worker, which we keep forgetting was the fourth murder that day,” Flory said. “So, how do we create a risk-free society?”
