Homeland Security?

[GoBoilers!]

Just some food for thought....

I was at a committee meeting the other day with some other governement emplyees in our courthouse annex. The topic of courthouse security came up. A few years ago our county officials voted to install a metal detecter and scanner, along with a full-time guard to monitor this equipment, at the entrance to our courthouse. We're not a big county, but the court judges convinced everyone (county commissioners and county council members) that we needed this set-up to assure their safety.

During our discussion, a fellow emplyee said he had figured the total costs of this new "security program" and that it would have been less expensive to provide a new Glock to every courthouse employee instead of the scanner / guard. What a concept! And he wasn't talking one Glock per office, he claimed he had run the numbers, and it was one per employee. And I'm sure the sheriff could provide safety training too.

Now that program would have made some front page news... and our county attorney would have had a cardiac....

If only I were a county commissioner.....

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GB!
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[jedi]

But there is no money to be made in giving every employee in the building a GLOCK. There is so much more money to be made in buying the metal decector, giving out a maintence contract for the equipment, having a new guard (ie. you just created a new job as a politician you can say), plus you are showing the sheep that look it's safe in here we have this big machine that can detect if any bad stuff come in.

What I mean by no money to be made is those in power will not make any money or their friends any money by buying GLOCKs for everyone. There is so much more money in awarding contractors to your friends, friend of friends, etc..

 

[t413]

Not to mention the endless insurance liability of equipping non-security staff with lethal government property (the Glock).

* From a security stand point, great idea
* From a business stand point, **** poor idea.
The minute a staff member has a ND or discharges the Glock off premises, you would have paid for the scanner ten fold in liability and insurance.
Remember the key to his proposal is the County is " to provide a new Glock ".

 

[dak109]

That would be way to easy.

If his friends owned a gunshop it may make him some money

 

[gunrunner0]

They actually hired a gaurd? both of our county court houses have metal detectors staffed by sheriffs deputies so beyond tieing up a sheriffs deputy from 8-4 or whatever I dont think it would cost that much. THe county is already paying him or her a wage and benefits.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I'm not even gonna comment on that one. But to the nice deputy who runs the big machine at delaware county, I'd still like to have my 1.5" pocket knife back. I mean, after all, you said I could.... and when I got done listening to my ex wife lie, I came back.. and you were gone!

 

[pillsbury1983]

They actually hired a gaurd? both of our county court houses have metal detectors staffed by sheriffs deputies so beyond tieing up a sheriffs deputy from 8-4 or whatever I dont think it would cost that much. THe county is already paying him or her a wage and benefits.

Those officers at Elkhart County's courthouses are actually non-merit officers who have to start out in the jail. They only have powers on duty and on county property. The pay is less then a merit deputy, they don't get a car, and retirement benefits are less expensive for them as well. At one point and time they had part-time officers making about $9 an hour.

 

[thompal]

I'm not even gonna comment on that one. But to the nice deputy who runs the big machine at delaware county, I'd still like to have my 1.5" pocket knife back. I mean, after all, you said I could.... and when I got done listening to my ex wife lie, I came back.. and you were gone!

Yeah, I couldn't get into the City County Building because I had my Minimag (AA flashlight) on my belt.

I asked if they thought one AA flashlight was really enough to shine any serious light on corruption and abuse of power. They didn't have ANY sense of humor.

The guy in front of me in line was a smoker, and he had a Bic lighter. He got in. I asked why an explosive device was allowed in but a flashlight wasn't. They said the flashlight could have been used as a weapon. I pointed out that my flashlight wasn't nearly as likely to be used to burn the building down.

As I said, they had NO sense of humor. I was asked to leave.

 

[HighpowerIndiana]

Courthouse

Like medicine, there's more money in treatment than in a cure.

 

[lon]

Yeah, I couldn't get into the City County Building because I had my Minimag (AA flashlight) on my belt.

I asked if they thought one AA flashlight was really enough to shine any serious light on corruption and abuse of power. They didn't have ANY sense of humor.

I think thats funny, but if they are anything like the mouth-breathers at the South Bend city building, they probably didn't get it.

 

[littletommy]

I can certainly see why the good people who work at our various courthouses feel they need to be protected, from judges right down to the waste of oxygen manning the metal detectors. Anybody that wants to see your tax dollars at work, head down to the local courthouse to get really pissed off.