Kentucky City Hall Protects Employees with Security Enclosure

Kentucky City Hall Protects Employees with Security Enclosure

A clear, protective enclosure is being installed this week in the first-floor lobby of Owensboro City Hall as a precautionary measure to protect citizen-service representatives.

Owensboro City Hall is installing a clear, protective enclosure in the first-floor lobby of its building this week. City officials said the enclosure is a precautionary measure to protect citizen-service representatives from potentially disgruntled customers.

According to Owensboro City Clerk Beth Cecil, who supervises the city’s three part-time citizen service reps, she doesn’t know of any major employee safety problems. However, she wants to ensure those employees are safe in case an issue arises.

"We're doing this out of an abundance of caution," Cecil said. "It's precautionary. We do sometimes have citizens who come in and are disgruntled about a variety of things. I thought it would be a good idea to keep those employees behind a barrier in case things were to get out of hand."

Citizen-service representatives at City Hall are CityAction employees who are responsible for fielding complaints, answering questions and directing citizens to the correct departments.

Owensboro contracted with Kentucky Mirror & Plate Glass Co. to install the glass enclosure, separated on the east side of the lobby with a door. The city’s Finance and Support Services Department tax counter on the north side of the lobby is already separated from the public by a glass enclosure.

Assistant City Manager Lelan Hancock said the Finance and Support Services Department tax counter has experienced issues with particularly angry visitors before. In those situations, CSRs are exposed, he said.

"Sometimes people are upset about the taxes they pay," Hancock said. "Some people have become absolutely irate. It's certainly not common, but, for the protection of the employee who may be dealing with those people, we decided this was the safest step."

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Facing Facts for Facilities

    Despite the proliferation of constantly evolving security solutions, there remains a troubling trend among many facility operators who often neglect the most important security assets within their organization. Keys and shared devices like radios, laptops and tablets are crucial to successful operations, yet many operators are managing them haphazardly through outdated storage systems like pegboards and notebooks. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Security Training Reduces Global Phishing Click Rates by 86%

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, today launched its “Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report 2025” which measures an organization’s Phish-prone Percentage (PPP) — the percentage of employees likely to fall for social engineering or phishing attacks, indicating the organization’s overall susceptibility to phishing threats. This year’s report found a global average baseline PPP of 33.1%, meaning a third of employees interact with phishing simulations before taking part in best-practice security awareness training (SAT).COVER 2025-PIB-NA-Report_EN-US Read Now

  • TSA Begins REAL ID Full Enforcement Today

    Today, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the imminent implementation of its REAL ID enforcement measures at TSA checkpoints nationwide. Read Now

  • Body-Worn Cameras on the Rise

    On the evening of Oct. 29, 2024, the owner of 300 Guard based in Houston, was shot while on duty at a convenience store. He returned fire. He was wearing a plated vest and thankfully recovered in the hospital. Read Now

  • Brazil Port Enhances Surveillance and Supports Wildlife Conservation with Sustainable Technology

    Ferroport, which operates the iron ore terminal at the Port of Açu in São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has deployed state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras from Axis Communications to enhance nighttime security and visibility, while decreasing environmental impact and prioritizing sustainability. With cutting-edge technology, the port now has precise surveillance cameras that capture high-quality nighttime images, while reducing the amount of artificial lighting that negatively impacts the surrounding ecosystem. Read Now

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.