A fatal incident occurred last week at the Jackson County Courthouse where a man brought a firearm into the building prompted many to look at security measures in other county courthouses.

Greene County Sheriff Steve Haupert says the courthouse in Jefferson isn’t locked down.  All four entrances are open for public access during business hours.  Each office in the courthouse is equipped with a panic button in case an active shooter is located within the building.  Haupert notes that he has never been involved in an active shooter situation at the courthouse.

Other security measures are when court is in session on the third floor of the courthouse, Haupert notes that there are transport deputies on site to keep peace in the courtroom.  Plus, he is at every Supervisors meeting to give extra security.  Haupert adds that firearms are also prohibited on the courthouse grounds.

Haupert also attended a three-day seminar about courthouse security at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy at Camp Dodge.  There, he found out about information regarding courthouses being locked down with metal detectors and having a full time law enforcement person stationed at one public entryway to the courthouse.

Haupert thinks that there is adequate security at the courthouse, but believes that it might change in the future.

“We hope that our domestic society and influences from foreign countries do not dictate that we need to be locking down our smaller courthouses throughout the Midwest.  But as they said at the seminar, never say never.  And something probably, eventually will happen where you will need some type of full time courthouse security.”

He discussed his trip with the Supervisors at Monday’s meeting, but the Supervisors didn’t take action due to it only being a report.