Sheriff Randy Miller said no law enforcement officer can ever be confident a facility can be kept secure. Vote in the NEWS POLL.
The Northampton County Courthouse
The gunman who spent years in court battles over child custody disputes opened fire in the lobby of the New Castle County courthouse, leaving two women and the suspected shooter dead, authorities said.
Northampton County Sheriff Randy Miller said any time major shootings occur, law enforcement officials review their security protocols and see how safety measures can be improved. For example, deputies began carrying bolt cutters and other tools in their vehicles that would allow for a forced entry after Seung-Hui Cho chained doors closed during his rampage in the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings. Until full details from Wilmington emerge, however, he could not say what if any changes may be recommended at the Northampton County Courthouse."It's almost a double tragedy if law enforcement does not look at it and assess what's going on," he said.
Warren County Sheriff David Gallant, who heads security at the state Superior Court in Belvidere said his office followed the situation in Wilmington today, and will review current security practices to see if any improvements should be made. The killings today and at the Kaufman County Courthouse annex last month in northern Texas highlight how imperative it is for traffic in and out of the courthouse to be monitored, he said.
"We'll just re-emphasize the importance of security, especially at the entrance of the courthouse," he said. "That's where security begins and needs to be the most stringent."
Coincidentally, Northampton County sheriff deputies were undergoing regular training exercises today on how to best secure courtrooms during a trial, Miller said. While declining to go into specifics, Miller said the training focused on putting deputies in the most physically advantageous position to secure the room in case a defendant needs to be restrained, he said. The training is part of the ongoing exercises the department goes through to improve security, he said.As the result of multiple additions over its 150-year history, the Northampton County Courthouse has multiple doors throughout the facility leading to the outside. Only two of those are open to the public, and they are secured with armed deputies. Visitors must go through metal detectors before being allowed into the building. The unguarded doors, Miller said, have multiple security measures in place, but he declined to go into them, citing safety precautions.
At the Belvidere courthouse, one entrance is open to the public and is manned by at least one sheriff's officer. Visitors immediately must have bags checked and walk through a metal detector. Gallant said access to the courthouse is restricted to one entrance specifically for security considerations.
But if a shooter or attacker is determined enough, there is little law enforcement officials can do to stop him or her, Miller said."Am I confident (the Northampton County Courthouse is secure)? I don't think anybody can ever be confident," Miller said. "As much as you can be the most secure facility around, there are people out there who know how to defeat security."
To improve security, the department is looking into acquiring facial recognition software that would scan people caught on security footage and compare the images to lists of fugitives or suspects, Miller said. The program, which Miller said he is still looking into, would become one of the courthouse's first lines of security at the courthouse if officials decide it is the best way forward, he said.
"We will actually recognize you before you can get to our security," he said.
The Lehigh County Sheriff's Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Reporter Kathryn Brenzel contributed to this report.