Johnson County Courthouse debuts secured entrance

IOWA CITY - New security measures are in place at the Johnson County Courthouse.

Last month, the county officially closed the front entrance to the more-than-century-old courthouse and directed all visitors to a secured entrance in the rear of the building. Anyone entering the courthouse will pass through a metal detector and their belongings will be scanned by an X-Ray machine.

The addition brings Johnson County up to speed with courthouses in other large counties in Iowa. Linn County, for instance, has a secured entrance with a metal detector for all visitors.

'I think most people have taken it pretty much in stride,” said Johnson County Sheriff's Office Capt. Bill Deatsch. 'We're the fourth largest county in Iowa, so it's certainly not a shock to see it here.”

The addition was born out of long-standing safety concerns for the courthouse. Officials have long raised the issue of courthouse security, noting that the front entrance was not suitable for placement of a metal detector. Previous efforts to get public approval to fund a justice center, which would have addressed safety, security and space issues at the courthouse, have failed.

Deatsch said the Johnson County Board of Supervisors ultimately set aside funding for the courthouse addition and approved the hiring of two additional deputies to staff the courthouse, bringing the number of deputies in the building to four.

Michael Kennedy, construction manager for the county, said special care was taken to protect the historical integrity of the building, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

'We spent a lot of time making sure everything is left as is,” Kennedy said.

The addition is a self-sustaining steel structure that is not mechanically connected to the courthouse, Kennedy said. A rubber roof connects with the courthouse and there is caulking where the building touches the courthouse. All of that can be removed, Kennedy said.

The structure has a two-stage air conditioning and heating system that has capacity for greater air flow in the building, should it require it. The addition is running off the courthouse's utilities, Kennedy said.

Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness, a vocal proponent of enhancing security at the courthouse, has said early reviews on the additional security measures have been positive.

'I think, generally, people are happy,” Lyness said. 'My understanding is the first week they took quite a few knives from people we didn't realize were in the courthouse before ... It's very good we have that security going on so we feel more secure in the building.”

Kennedy said the structure came in under budget at $262,165. The X-Ray scanner and metal detector cost about $26,000 total.