| Security in the courthouse? Cincy judges tell COPS to stay out too. |
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| Written by Jeff Garvas | |
| Thursday, 24 March 2005 | |
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The Cincinnati Post is reporting that, while the rest of the country is examining how to beef up security in courthouses, several judges and the court administrator are reminding police they can't bring personal guns into the building. From the story:
"If you're a police officer or a fireman or whatever and you're down here on your own private, non-law enforcement matter, you're precluded from bringing a gun in." Those concerns were raised after Stephen Roach -- a Cincinnati police officer when he shot an unarmed black man in 2001 in Over-the-Rhine, sparking Cincinnati's race riots -- was in court last week as a defendant in a civil case. During a trip to the restroom, he lost the gun he carries while off-duty. Roach, now an Evendale officer, reported the lost gun three hours later to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department, which is in charge of courthouse security. The gun hasn't been found. The court's local rule notes that no weapons are allowed in the courthouse except for the "official side arm" used by law enforcement officers within the scope of their employment. That right doesn't apply to officers in court for reasons "outside the scope of their employment." Roach’s punishment for carelessly losing his firearm? Evendale Police Chief Gary Foust placed a letter of reprimand in his file. Related Stories: Off-duty officer's gun lost/ stolen from Hamilton Co. courthouse Op-Ed: Road to bad laws paved with good intentions |