Wood County court security improves, officials assert

3/24/2006

BOWLING GREEN Since creating a single security checkpoint for employees and visitors to the Wood County court complex in December, court security officials told county commissioners yesterday that the complex is a safer place.

Tom Chidester, chief court constable, said between 700 and 750 people pass through the metal detectors everyday, and security officers hold 13 to 21 items such as pocketknives for visitors each day.

He said his staff also feels more at ease arresting people who violate probation or to detain defendants ordered to jail because they know everyone already has been checked for weapons.

Commissioner Tim Brown said: Our goal with this was to provide a reasonably secure work environment for our employees and the public, and I think you ve achieved that.