Stockholm Earns $12K Grant For Court Security
WINTHROP - The town of Stockholm has been awarded a $12,096.37 grant from the state's Uniform Court System Justice Court Assistance Program for town court security enhancements.
Stockholm Town Justice Wayne Williams told town board members the grant was awarded on Friday. The latest grant will be used for the installation of a security alarm system for the courtroom as well as for the construction of a separate entrance for inmates and defendants in custody making court appearances.
The town of Stockholm had received a $13,551 grant from the Unified Court System last year. Those dollars were utilized for painting and the installation of a new carpet and a new drop ceiling in the multi-purpose room that houses the town court and also serves as the site of town board meetings. That grant was also utilized to purchase furniture for the court staff.
Justice Williams said $3,346 will be utilized to purchase the security system, which will include the purchase of monitoring devices, with the remaining $8,750 paying for the construction of the "escape route" and holding area for court clients that are in custody.
"Court security is a hot item right now with the state of New York. We're looking at getting an outside exit instead of having police officers bring prisoners in and out of the courtroom through the regular population," he said, noting the current system generates security issues for prisoners as well as the other people in the courtroom.
Justice Williams said he is hopeful the town board will also consider looking at steps that could be taken to make an improvement to the bathroom that is open during the court sessions.
"I find we have heavy bathroom use during court, and I've become the part-time sewer attendant. It's not uncommon that I end up in there with a plunger. We do not always get the most desirous clientele," he suggested.
"Out of towners," Councilman Robert McCuin quipped.
The town justice suggested a combination of tax dollars and any funds left over after the grant work is completed could be used to paint the walls, put new tile on the floor and install a siphon toilet in the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Justice Williams, responding to a question from Councilman Edwin Marsh, said his part-time clerk's schedule would not allow her to do work that could reduce reams of court paperwork from years past stored in the vault at the municipal building.
"Crime is up, and more serious crime is up. With her current workload as court clerk and deputy supervisor, the only way to get that work done would be to acquire a grant (to hire an additional worker to convert the documents for digital storage)," the town justice told town board members.
