Kansas Judicial Branch Court Security and Emergency Preparedness Project
The SJI-funded Court Security and Emergency Preparedness Project for the Kansas Judicial Branch is currently being finalized. This FY 2006 grant award developed security and emergency preparedness standards and trained Kansas Judicial Branch managers on how to conduct vulnerability assessments.
The Kansas Department of Homeland Security expressed interest in the project after the manager for the Vulnerability Assessment Team reviewed the initial RFP. They agreed to be adjunct consultants for the project, and participated in meetings with the Judicial Branch Advisory Committee in providing project oversight. Furthermore, the Kansas DHS agreed to conduct a vulnerability assessment on each court facility in the State at no cost to the Kansas Judicial Branch.
The Advisory Committee for the Judicial Branch was created in the fall of 2005 to oversee the project. This committee included judges, court administrators, court clerks, court services officers, and representatives from the Kansas Association of Counties and the Kansas Sheriff’s Association. This Advisory Committee worked closely with the National Center for State Courts and Kansas DHS throughout the project in conducting the vulnerability assessments, and then drafting security and emergency preparedness standards. Every judicial district in the state tasked at least one representative to review the proposed standards. This project required an extensive amount of state-wide collaboration.
The proposed emergency preparedness standards cover five areas: 1) leadership; 2) security; 3) emergency preparedness; 4) information technology records and evidence; and 5) pandemic disease. The standards are currently under review and will undergo a final editing process before submission to the Kansas Supreme Court, with a request that the standards be adopted in the form of a Supreme Court administrative order. However, the requirements contained in the standards will not all be mandated to every court, or require counties to purchase equipment or services. The final standards will represent best practices in court security emergency preparedness and recognize the wide diversity in needs and resources among the courts in Kansas.
This project is the first phase of a continuing effort in court security and emergency preparedness in Kansas. Although the grant project goals are completed, the Kansas Judicial Branch is well aware of the need for continued activities in these areas. There have been a number of legal questions that still need to be resolved regarding the authority of these standards across the varying court districts in the state. In addition, there are issues specific to pandemic disease, which still need to be explored by the Advisory Committee. Future activities will also include training on court security and emergency preparedness. SJI is very excited that the initial grant goals have been met, and is eager to see the Judicial Branch continue building on these efforts.
