Tennessee Justice Center Gets Security Upgrades

Justice Center in Tennessee is continuing the work to create a more secure facility.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Jan 08, 2019

Tennessee's Washington County officials are upgrading security at the George P. Jaynes Justice Center is Jonesborough. The county was recently awarded a $11,574.31 grant from the state to help with the improvements.

The grant, which includes a 10 percent match by the county, includes money to train six courtroom bailiffs, a metal detector and to fund the installation of panic buttons and strobe lights in the courtrooms.

The new secure measures are a continuation of the hard work put in to upgrade security in 2018. Last year, the justice center saw new keypads, security card readers and a flat-bed scanner. 

"I think all the folks who work for the court system like the improvements," Chancellor John Rambo, chairman of Washington County's Courthouse Security Committee said. "We are minimizing as many risks as we can."

In an effort to quickly secure areas of the justice center, Rambo said they are reviewing new policies when it comes to items that can be brought into the justice center. Deciding on banned items and communicating those to the community will help to aid in the management of longer security lines.

County officials hope to soon be able to add an audio alarm to the security system.