After more than two months without an X-ray machine at the Hamilton County Courthouse’s east entrance, manufacturers installed a new tube generator Friday that should provide an extra line of safety for courthouse visitors.
Joanna Tibbs, 24, of East Chattanooga, said she will feel safer with the machine in operation. She did not trust that searching bags and pocketbooks by hand was as effective.
“They can overlook some stuff,” she said. “They need to get it up and running because there is no telling where something is hiding in there.”
Alan Noles, who oversees the contract with Walden Security for the county, said the part had been on order since December.
Sgt. Rick Hamerick, head of court security for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, said the part had been on order, but shipment and installation were delayed because of a fire at Control Screening’s warehouse in Philadelphia.
The $2,485 part was installed late Friday, and Sgt. Hamerick said the security machine should be in operation when the courthouse opens for business Monday morning.
Fourteen additional security cameras recently were installed at the Hamilton County Courts Building. The cameras are monitored by one of 22 court security officers.
However, there are times when the cameras are unmanned.
“We have an officer who monitors them, but he may have to get up,” he said.
Still, Sgt. Hamerick said he believes the courthouse and the courts building are safe.
Nelda Jarvis, 93, entered the courthouse through the Georgia Avenue entrance Friday. She said she did not feel unsafe because of the broken equipment.
“He opened it up and looked,” she said, referring to the Walden Security officer who searched her purse by hand.
Sgt. Hamerick said he is confident that the security officers will find any weapons or contraband that someone attempts to bring into the building.
“I think they are doing a good job,” he said.
