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Courthouse going single point of entry

Times Observer photo by Rob Andersen For the time being, Warren County Sheriff’s deputies will man the Fifth Avenue entrance to the Warren County Courthouse as a single point of entry to the building, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 9. No visitors may enter through any other entrance. Above, Deputy Tim Thomas guards the doorway.

Access to the Warren County Courthouse will be restricted to the Fifth Ave. entrance until further notice, effective Wednesday.

“Sheriff (Ken) Klakamp recently expressed his concern regarding courthouse security to the Warren County commissioners,” Chairman Cindy Morrison said. “The Sheriff recommended tightening security and moving to single point of entry during the days leading up to and after the upcoming Presidential Election.”

Morrison said that the single point access will continue “until further notice.”

She explained that there had been no immediate plans to enact single point of entry, though she discussed the possibility with President Judge Maureen Skerda late last year.

Klakamp more recently expressed his concern and, Morrison said, “encouraged the commissioners to strongly consider a move to secure the Courthouse.”

Klakamp asked that a study be completed regarding how many people utilize the Fourth Ave. entrance and Morrison said that the Fifth Ave. entrance “receives the majority of traffic.”

She said that the “study would help determine if both entrances should be secured or if the numbers reflect closing the Fourth Ave. entrance should the county institute a single point of entry.”

Morrison said that the commissioners recently approved funding for a full-time security position for the Courthouse.

“Sheriff Klakamp informed the commissioners (Tuesday) that a grant-funded x-ray machine is expected to arrive later this month,” Morrison said. “The x-ray machine will provide Sheriff’s Deputies visual detection capabilities to assist in the protection of the county’s employees and our citizens.”

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