Most visitors to the Bucks County Courthouse will have to go through metal detectors as part of tighter security measures that are to begin in January.
The metal detectors were originally to begin operating last spring, but that plan was delayed while the county studied how to improve security, according to Richard Manna, chairman of the county's security committee.
He said yesterday that Bucks was one of the last counties in the state to set up such security systems at their courthouses.
"This is a long time coming," Manna said. "This courthouse should have been secured a long time ago." He said there have been security problems in the past, but "there haven't been a lot of them."
Two metal detectors and two X-ray machines will be set up at the Court Street entrance, which will be open all day, according to yesterday's announcement.
Based on the experience of neighboring counties, Manna said, visitors should expect few delays once the system is up and running.
The county will also install video monitoring cameras in and around the courthouse.
The Main Street entrance, the one closest to the county parking garage, will be open only from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. each day. Visitors using that entrance will have to walk up stairs to the second floor to go through security, Manna said.
The Broad Street entrance will be open only to a few employees with access cards or to visitors who are cleared by security officers.
Manna said county officials hoped to have the new security measures in place by Jan. 15 but no later than the end of that month.
About 950 county employees will be allowed to bypass security by showing photo identification cards.
The metal detectors and X-ray machines were purchased with $42,000 in federal grants, according to John D. Dougherty Jr., the county's director of emergency services.
