NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact
July 7, 2014 Chief Justice E. James Burke
307-777-7557
Supreme Court Receives Funding for Court Security Assessments and Training
Chief Justice E. James Burke, in collaboration with the Wyoming Court Security Commission and the Office of Homeland Security, announced today that the Wyoming Supreme Court has received two State Justice Institute technical assistance grants to assess security in several courts and improve court security in Wyoming.
The Supreme Court received $50,000 to conduct court security assessments of the courtrooms and judicial chambers in Albany, Platte, Goshen, Niobrara, Weston and Crook Counties. To the extent funds are available; assessments will also occur in Big Horn and Park counties. Additionally, the Supreme Court received a $30,000 grant to provide court security team building trainings at three regional sites across the state. The purpose of these regional trainings is to convene and train interdisciplinary teams consisting of judges, court administrators, court security providers, law enforcement, first responders and other judicial system stakeholders. The regional trainings aim to enhance trainees’ knowledge of court security and personal safety and to help prepare counties for and improve interagency communication during unexpected emergencies affecting the court and the community.
The Wyoming Court Security Commission will meet in July to finalize plans to organize and schedule assessments and regional trainings. Court security experts from the National Center for State Courts will conduct the court security assessments and provide instruction to the interdisciplinary teams during the regional trainings. The grants are funded through July, 2015.
“Court security continues to remain a high priority for the judiciary and we will continue to support court security improvements in Wyoming. I appreciate the work and support of the Wyoming Court Security Commission, the Office of Homeland Security, local judges and communities who continue to work hard to improve security at a local level,” Chief Justice Burke said.
“These grants provide the state the opportunity to advance our efforts to further provide for a safe and secure environment for everyone who works in or has business in our courts,” said Guy Cameron, Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Chairperson for the Wyoming Court Security Commission.