COURT SECURITY TIGHTENED METAL DETECTORS INSTALLED; ENTRY PATTERN REVISED.Byline: Joseph Giordono Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - Citing an increase in courthouse violence over the past several years, Ventura County officials began work Monday to boost security measures Noun 1. security measures - measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage etc.; "military security has been stepped up since the recent uprising" security at the East County facility. Workers have closed all entrances to the courthouse except one, which will soon be manned by private security guards with an X-ray machine Noun 1. X-ray machine - an apparatus that provides a source of X rays apparatus, setup - equipment designed to serve a specific function fluoroscope, roentgenoscope - an X-ray machine that combines an X-ray source and a fluorescent screen to enable direct and a metal detector. By next Monday, all visitors, employees and court personnel will be required to pass through the metal detector before being admitted to the courthouse. ``The bottom line is that we will be keeping out every weapon, and we will be looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. any item deemed a threat to the security of people inside the building,'' said Marty Rouse, a commander in the Ventura County Sheriff's Department The Ventura County Sheriff's Department (VCSD) provides law enforcement for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, USA, as well as several cities within the county. The cities that VCSD serves are Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks. . ``Our job is to maintain the integrity of the courts, and that is what we are going to do.'' Rouse said that the success of identical security procedures at the Ventura courthouse led to the installation of the system in the Simi Valley building. Security officers at the Ventura courthouse have confiscated con·fis·cate tr.v. con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing, con·fis·cates 1. To seize (private property) for the public treasury. 2. To seize by or as if by authority. See Synonyms at appropriate. adj. or turned away about 1,400 knives knives n. Plural of knife. knives Noun the plural of knife knives knife and other weapons in little more than a year, Rouse said. That includes two handguns. Detection of one led to criminal charges against the owner. The other was carried by a person with a permit to carry a concealed weapon concealed weapon n. a weapon, particularly a handgun, which is kept hidden on one's person, or under one's control (in a glove compartment or under a car seat). , Rouse said. Just in July, officials confiscated 139 knives and other weapons, including pepper spray, officials said. Though no violent incidents have occurred at the Simi Valley courthouse, several people said the increased security would increase comfort. ``You have enough on your mind whenever you are in a legal situation without having to worry about someone bringing in a gun or a knife,'' said Janice Jacoby, who was at the courthouse Monday for a domestic court case. ``The extra 10 seconds it takes to place your bag through the X-ray machine and walk through the metal detector are worth it.'' Robert Sherman, deputy administrator of the Ventura County courts, said it is costing $300,000 for building alterations and about $150,000 for equipment in the effort to keep weapons out of the Simi SIMI Sea Ice Mechanics Initiative SIMI Search for Intelligent Monkeys on the Internet SIMI Students Islamic Movement in India SIMI Society of Irish Motor Industry SIMI Smallholder Irrigation Markets Initiative courthouse. There was no immediate estimate of how much it will cost for security guards to operate the equipment. Officials have not yet decided how many to hire, Sherman said. The Trial Court Funding Act of 1997 calls for more state appropriations to improve security in courthouses across California. Ventura County officials sought funding under the act after deputies found a handgun hidden in a restroom at the Ventura courthouse three years ago. It has become routine, Rouse said, for security personnel to find weapons hidden in the bushes outside the Ventura courthouse. ``The increased security and the metal detectors have been both preventive and deterrent,'' Rouse said. ``The public has been very supportive of the effort, and no one is verbally beating up on the guards for keeping everyone safe.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Two entering the Simi Valley courthouse look at signs near a new security X-ray machine, soon to be staffed and working. John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News |
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