Rule 1954. Court security.
(a) The president judge of each judicial district shall establish a local court security committee that shall meet at least twice per year. The president judge or designee shall chair the local court security committee. Local court security committee membership shall include, at a minimum, a member of the county executive branch, the district court administrator and a magisterial district judge. The duties of the local court security committee shall be to:
(1) develop, review and make recommendations to the president judge on protocols, policies and procedures necessary to protect the public, court personnel and court facilities in the event of an emergency, including the continuity of operations plan and emergency action plans;
(2) communicate the approved protocols, policies and procedures identified in paragraph (a)(1) to all court employees;
(3) review and assess the judicial district’s security incident reports specified in paragraph (b) and recommend to the president judge appropriate actions; and
(4) develop and recommend to the president judge training programs for court employees on safety and security awareness.
Official Note
When forming local court security committees, president judges should consider a variety of court and county employees as well as public officials whose positions, experience and authority would benefit court security decisions. While not an exhaustive list, the president judge may also consider including: an individual responsible for county and court records, an individual responsible for courthouse security, a courthouse facility or risk manager, representatives of the other county offices housed in the court facility, a representative from the county information technology office, and a member of county or local law enforcement.
(b) The president judge shall ensure that all reporting requirements of the Pennsylvania Judicial Incident Reporting System (‘‘PAJIRS’’) are completed by the district court administrator or his or her designee no later than the close of business on the day that any reportable action occurs.
(c) The president judge shall ensure the completion of court facility security assessments as prescribed by the Court Administrator.
Comment Rule 1954 addresses court security and formalizes the creation of local court security committees. These committees have existed in every judicial district since at least 2005. Each local court security committee is charged with reviewing court security protocols, policies, and procedures, as well as security incident reports collected through PAJIRS, (implemented in 2005 for magisterial district courts and 2007 for common pleas courts), and making appropriate recommendations to the president judge based on the committee’s review.
Source The provisions of Rule 1954 are adopted December 28, 2009, effective immediately, 40 Pa.B. 218; amended March 16, 2021, effective January 1, 2021, 51 Pa.B. 1644. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (357749) to (357750).
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