Toombs County Works to Secure Courthouse

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Staff for the new Toombs County Courthouse and officials from the Toombs County Detention Center and Toombs County Sheriff’s Office gathered last week to undergo security training for the recently-opened courthouse.

“Courthouses are vulnerable to acts of random vio- continued from page

lence; therefore, they must have proper court security procedures to protect the safety of the people and property within and around the courts, and to protect the integrity of the judicial process,” Toombs County Sheriff’s Office Captain Jordan Kight remarked. “Court security deputies must be fully prepared to respond appropriately to violent incidents. In addition, civilian staff working in the courthouse participate in training to help promote a concerted effort in the event of a security threat.”

According to Kight and Georgia Sheriffs’ Association Training Division Program Coordinator Brent Loeffler, Georgia law mandates that every county’s sheriff formulate a courthouse security plan, which should be practiced in case of emergency. The men shared that this law came about in 2006, after Brian Nichols, a defendant accused of rape and drug crimes, escaped from custody and killed four courtroom officials in a shooting frenzy at the Fulton County Courthouse.

“We live in a really crazy world,” Loeffler emphasized. “You have school shootings, you have church shootings, and over history, you have courthouse shootings. In Georgia, in 2005, Brian Nichols perpetrated a massive shooting in the Fulton County Courthouse. That is what kicked off this law. Where else do you have such a wide spectrum of emotion? You have a defendant and their family; you have a victim and their family all within the confines of one courtroom. You have incidents all over the country of fights breaking out. Most of the time, it’s just fights with fists and chairs, but we live in a world that seems to have gotten out of control, and you have individuals that don’t care about shooting up a courthouse or waiting outside the courthouse to shoot. You see it all the time on the news.”

He continued, “It has the potential to be a very volatile place just because you have such a wide range of emotions from all of the people involved.”

Kight added, “A courthouse is also the prime target for people with ill intentions or hard feelings toward government. We’ve seen it many times. Something happens, and they interview a witness who says, ‘I never thought it would happen here.’ I’m not trying to be doom and gloom about it, but we are thinking about it and preparing in case it does, so we will be ready. We must always be aware of what’s going on and always have our eye out – always be aware of your surroundings. That’s why this is so important.”

To ensure that the new Toombs County Courthouse is secure, the Georgia Sheriff’s Association Training Division came to the area for several days to complete an on-site security survey of the building, which provided Sheriff Alvie “Junior” Kight with a thorough report on measures to improve security at the judicial building and safety of individuals within. The Division also spent time educating training attendees on the problems which are currently plaguing courthouse security, and giving tips on behaviors to watch out for with courthouse visitors. Some of the topics discussed included tension de-escalation and mental health.

“By applying these measures, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office is taking steps to raise awareness of security concerns, and in doing so, protecting the lives and well-being of all individuals within the confines of the courthouse, while maintaining the integrity of the critical business that must be conducted daily,” Kight commented. “Your sheriff takes this seriously and understands the importance of securing this facility. We always want to work to keep our citizens safe; that is our ultimate goal.”

Loeffler also spoke on the participation of the training attendees. “This bunch has been good,” he said. “This is not just courtroom security. It’s courthouse security. You have so many rooms and county offices downstairs, and it is for the protection of the citizens, staff, families, and friends of all involved. Everybody has to be protected; no one wants anyone to get hurt.”

“Are you going to prevent it? No. You can minimize it. You’re not going to prevent anything; you just do your best to minimize it. If somebody has ill will toward something, they’re going to do it, but this law and this training help to minimize it. It gets these guys and girls trained on what to look for and where to look, and you go from there,” he summarized.

Now that the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office and other parties have completed this initial training, they will continue to practice their security plans on a regular basis to ensure that they are ready for anything that may arise. As the plan is practiced, the group will also continue to edit the plan, making sure that all aspects work seamlessly throughout various offices and courtrooms at the facility.

MINIMIZING THE DAMAGE – Georgia Sheriff’s Association Training Division Program Coordinator Brent Loeffler told the attendees that wholly preventing attacks on or within the courthouse is impossible, but that an effective security plan could work to minimize the damage.Photo by Makaylee Randolph