State sets sights on town building security
BY MARY LANCASTER
If all the obstacles can be worked out satisfactorily, Nantucket's court house will be equipped with a security screening system similar to what is already installed in the state's 109 other court houses. The issue on Nantucket is that its courts are contained within the island's primary municipal building which is used constantly by a large segment of the population, not just those with court-related business.

The town building's main doors, including the one's on Broad Street, above, will likely be locked and fitted with security cameras and buzzers. Nantucket's court house is the last in Massachusetts to be without a security system.

Howard Coleman, the state's Regional Assistant Director of Security for region five containing Dukes and Nantucket counties, visited the island on Nov. 6 to make a survey of the town building's layout, egress points and uses. This week, an alarm designer is examining the building's doors and will make an assessment of what, if any, additional electrical power is needed to handle installation of an x-ray machine and metal detector besides an alarm and security camera system.

Thomas Connolly, Acting Director of the state's Trial Court Security Department, said that after he reviews the designer's presentation a meeting will be held with town officials to further discuss the plan. It will be necessary to gain approval of all the building's tenants to avoid impeding any of the business conducted there, said Connolly.

At this point the thinking is to place the x-ray and metal detector near the handicap entrance on Federal Street. An associate court officer would be hired to operate the equipment and

would also have a hand-held metal detection wand. That person would be on duty Monday through Friday during the hours the building is open.

The other two main doors on South Water and Broad streets would probably be locked and fitted with security cameras and buzzers. Town building employees and police would be issued identification cards. If they enter through the Federal Street door and show their cards they will be admitted without screening. If they want to enter through either of the other doors and show their cards to the camera the court officer would admit them. People unknown to the officer or without a card would be required to enter at Federal Street for screening.

The doors without a security station would be locked from the outside and have interior signage prohibiting use except in emergencies. Those doors would be installed with a mechanical delayed-egress system allowing the doors to open in 15 seconds after a release is pressed, an alarm goes off and the action is visible via camera to the court officer.

Connolly said the state's trial court security budget covers the $25,000 cost of the x-ray machine and $7,000 for the metal detector. Nantucket's court house is the last in Massachusetts to be without a security system because they are prioritized by the number of cases handled and volume of police custodies, said Connolly.

"We didn't want Nantucket to be the only one out there," Connolly said of the move to equip the island's court building.

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