Luzerne County security officers now armed with firearms
Luzerne County PA December 24 2019
Luzerne County security guards have started carrying guns as part of an ongoing effort to beef up security, according to county Sheriff Brian Szumski.
The installation of more than 100 security cameras at county government properties also is set to begin next month, he said.
Implemented without fanfare, the arming of guards in recent months was noted in county Manager C. David Pedri’s 2019 yearly report released last week through an update that all guards have received Act 235 certification for lethal weapons.
Szumski said the initiative was a top priority since he assumed oversight of security guards in 2016 to increase safety protocols and training.
The county employs 10 security guards to man the entrances to county buildings, while sheriff deputies provide security inside courtrooms.
Security guards started carrying pepper spray, expandable batons and handcuffs in 2017, but that wasn’t enough, Szumski said.
“It never made sense to me that the first line of defense is defenseless,” Szumski said. “That was one of the big things I wanted to address when I took over.”
The latest collective bargaining agreement covering the guards authorized the requirement for gun training. Under state Act 235, the guards must pass a firearm proficiency test and written exam to be armed, Szumski has said.
Guards received a $2,500 base wage increase upon successful completion of the necessary training, the contract said. Even with this bump, the highest 2020 annual compensation for more veteran guards will be slightly over $30,000, the new position budget shows.
County council approved a $300,000 earmark for security cameras in September as part of the annual capital plan.
The county administration had started price shopping for security cameras to monitor and record activity in and around county buildings in 2017, but the project was delayed due to a lack of funding.
Officials have said the courthouse and some other buildings rely on an insufficient number of cameras installed in 2001.
With funding secured, the administration awarded a $261,235 contract this fall to Allentown-based Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP to provide interior and exterior cameras at 10 properties, according to the contract.
Szumski said the project will include a central monitoring station in addition to monitoring at each site and remotely.
He expects installation to begin around the second week of January, and the contract says completion is planned for October 2020.
In addition to the courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, more interior and exterior cameras will be installed at these county-owned buildings in Wilkes-Barre: Bernard C. Brominski Building, North Street; Courthouse Annex, River Street; Penn Place and the human services buildings, both on Pennsylvania Avenue; the courthouse parkade and Emergency Management Agency building, both on Water Street; and the engineering/road and bridge building, Reichard Street.
Also in the contract are the county’s record storage building in Hanover Township and a Wilkes-Barre property the county leases to house human service offices on State Street, the contract said.
New and existing cameras from these and other county properties will all be linked to a hub in the courthouse monitored by sheriff deputies, Szumski has said.
Times-Leader
