Sheriff Mark Falk and County Attorney Tim Scannell will be attending a two-day training in February on security in the court system. It is hoped that the training, offered by the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association and the Center for Judicial and Executive Security, will provide ideas to make the Cook County courthouse a safer place.
In light of security concerns after the December 15 courthouse shootings following a jury trial, the Cook County Board of Commissioners has started making a plan to deal with security issues in county buildings.
On January 3, 2012, the board designated newly appointed chair Jan Hall and Commissioner Sue Hakes to follow up on this issue with departments that will be addressing it, such as the Sheriff ’s Office and the County Attorney’s Office.
Before his term as board chair ended, Jim Johnson addressed this issue in a letter to all county employees. In part, it says, “Recent tragic events have made the past few weeks very difficult for county employees as well as for the community as a whole. As the chair of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, I would like to commend each one of you for the manner in which you have dealt with the situation. It will take us all awhile to get back on our feet, but we are making progress.
“…The Sheriff ’s Office has already begun to review its own law enforcement response and also wants to review how employees and others in the courthouse responded during the event, in an effort to improve procedures.”
Commissioner Johnson said that Sheriff Mark Falk and County Attorney Tim Scannell, one of the shooting victims, are planning to attend a two-day training in February on security in the court system being offered by the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association and the Center for Judicial and Executive Security. “This seminar is designed specifically for court, law enforcement, county attorney, probation, and public defender personnel who work in the criminal justice system,” Johnson said.
“In January, the county board will begin to consider how to proceed and who to involve when discussing courthouse security issues,” Johnson continued. “I anticipate that we will be working closely with representatives from the State of Minnesota, the Sixth Judicial District, and Arrowhead Regional Corrections, all of whom have a vested interest and a role to play.
“I am also mindful that there may be security concerns regarding other county buildings that should be addressed. As a part of this overall planning process, county employees will be encouraged to share their concerns, comments, and suggestions.
“So as we flip the calendar over to 2012, we know that it will be a challenging year. With all of us working together, let’s hope that it will also be a good one. Thank you again for all that you do to make Cook County a special place in which to work and live.”
In 2012, Jan Hall will be the board liaison to the Sheriff ’s Office, and while Jim Johnson is undergoing treatment for a medical condition, Sue Hakes will take his place as board liaison to the Attorney’s Office and court administration.
Leave a Reply