Courtroom gets secure, all to be screened

Published 12:28 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Kevin Hanson

The Courier-Herald

Everywhere one turns, security measures are becoming more prevalent as the public adapts to a post-9/11 world.

Now, a security system - in the form of a walk-through metal detector - has come to Enumclaw. Soon, a unit will grace the entryway of the court chambers in Enumclaw City Hall. It will be used for both Enumclaw and Maple Valley courts, which meet weekly in the Griffin Avenue building.

Police Chief Jim Zoll reported to members of the Enumclaw City Council last week how the used unit made its way to the Plateau. During a general discussion regarding court security, which has been lax, Zoll noted that the Enumclaw community certainly has its share of airline personnel. Further, he was aware that the federal Transportation Safety Administration has taken over security at the nation's airports, and replaced the airline's metal detectors with its own.

Jailer Tyler Chilman took the lead, and soon discovered the chief's hunch was right. Alaska Airlines had stockpiled its old units at SeaTac International, and was willing to sell one to Enumclaw for a token payment. The units sell for at least $3,500 when new, Zoll said, but Enumclaw's used unit cost the city $20. It came with a portable "wand" detector, used to scan those who set off the alarm.

Once the city obtained the detector, someone was hired to assemble the unit and provide city staff the needed training. That cost was less than $1,000, Zoll said.

The cost ends there, the chief said, as the bailiffs already on duty will monitor the unit as people enter the courtroom.

Staff is still training with the unit, Zoll said, but it should be in place before the end of this month.

On another matter during last week's meeting, members of the City Council extended the existing moratorium utility connections, as well as a moratorium on platting and annexation.

It's a move the council takes every six months, and will continue to take until the municipal wastewater treatment plant is expanded and improved. The situation has limited growth in Enumclaw since 1998 and will exist until plant upgrades improve the city's discharge into the White River. A project to overhaul the existing treatment plant is expected to be completed in early 2007.

Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.