A contract for a professional assessment of security needs at the Cook County Courthouse was approved by the county board on April 14 at a cost not to exceed $5,000. The work will begin in May.
Steve Swenson of the Center for Judicial and Executive Security of St. Paul will evaluate the structure, meet with personnel, review existing policies and procedures, assess current security equipment and locks, identify gaps in security, and prepare a report.
Assessments of other county buildings, such as the Highway Department, the Recycling Center, the Community Center, and the Law Enforcement Center would each cost $3,500 to $5,000. According to a memo to the board from County Attorney Tim Scannell, Swenson said that if he assessed other county buildings, he would assess the Cook County Schools complex and the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic/North Shore Hospital & Care Center complex at no extra charge.
The board also authorized Maintenance Director Brian Silence to hire Rick Crawford to put in a bulletproof entrance outside the county attorney’s office and upgrade security measures in the court administration suite. In addition, Wendy Hansen’s guardian ad litem office will be moved to the court administration suite, making room for a secure conference room in the County Attorney’s Office suite.
The work was approved at a cost not to exceed $8,000. Commissioner Bruce Martinson asked if other bids were sought. Maintenance Director Silence said Crawford has done work in that area of the building and knows what is behind the walls. He charges $55/ hour, lower than the $80/ hour charged for other work by another contractor. “He hasn’t overcharged us by any means,” said Silence.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
A grant will be paying for a display by the Victim/ Witness Services office in the courthouse lobby during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 22-28. This year’s theme is “Extending the Vision: Reaching Every Victim,” but the display will also focus on victims finding their voices.
911 system upgrade
The board authorized purchase of a new 9-1-1 computer/ phone system with five years of support services and upgrades.
According to Sheriff Mark Falk, the current system was installed in 1999 and was expected to last seven years. “That system has lived beyond its life expectancy,” he said. Because of its age, support services for this system will be discontinued within the next year.
The new system will have redundant servers, overflow handling and multiple call management schemes, and will allow critical infrastructure to reside in distributed locations. Dispatchers will be able to access maps and use computers to aid in handling 911 calls.
The cost of the new system with five years of support services and upgrades will be just under $199,028. This cost is in the Sheriff ’s Office budget.
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