Ann Arbor OKs Weapons Screening Contract

At its July 2, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council approved a contract with the Washtenaw County sheriff’s office that will cost $187,000 annually to provide weapons screening services for the 15th District Court, located inside the city’s new justice center building at the corner of Fifth and Huron.

The contract pays $25.25 per hour per officer, with the number of officers estimated to be roughly three each day. Currently, the weapons screening takes place at metal detectors at the entrance to the building.

The city council engaged in lengthy deliberations at its April 2, 2012 meeting about the placement of the security check. The context of those deliberations was a vote on the acquisition of Ed Carpenter’s proposed “Radius” sculpture, at a cost of $150,000, to be installed in the lobby of the justice center building. As proposed, and eventually approved by the council, viewing the sculpture from inside the building during normal business hours would require going through a security check.

On July 16, the city council will convene a meeting of its building committee, which will include a discussion of the location of the security checkpoint.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link]