Guidelines for Implementing Best Practices in Court Building Security

In FY 2009, SJI awarded a Strategic Initiatives Grant (SJI-09-P-125) to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to develop a set of guidelines for implementing best practices for court building security. This document is now available on both the SJI and NCSC websites.

Operating a court building today is by its very nature a risky business. Court buildings are visited by a large volume of disgruntled and even lawbreaking citizens. In addition, court buildings can be seen as an important symbolic target for those who wish to cause mischief or even terror. In an effort to assist the state courts in the development and implementation of effective measures for court building security, NCSC has developed Steps to Best Practices. In addition, SJI supported a companion piece that provides guidelines for implementing those steps, and specifically focuses on the costs and strategies for obtaining necessary funding to improving court building security. The companion piece includes four parts:

Part I – identifies the estimated costs associated with implementing the recommendations contained in the Steps document.

Part II – includes a framework of priorities that a court may wish to follow in deciding when and how to implement the recommendations contained in Steps.

Part III – recommends strategies for seeking the funding necessary to implement the recommendations contained in Steps.

Part IV – describes performance and accountability measures that a court may wish to utilize in order to measure the effectiveness of implementation efforts, and to sustain funding for those efforts.

Court building security is not a one-time achievement. It is a serious and continuous goal that requires constant vigilance. The risks involved in court building operations are numerous, and can never be completely eliminated. However, they can be minimized. Following the recommendations of the Steps document, along with the guidance provided by the companion piece, can help the state courts minimize the risks and help keep the public, judicial officers, court staff, and building tenants more safe and secure.