Mower County Commissioners voted to approve a request for a portable, free-standing metal detector on Tuesday at the county board meeting.

Friday, January 26, 2001

Mower County Commissioners voted to approve a request for a portable, free-standing metal detector on Tuesday at the county board meeting.

Due to the expected security risks which may result from the upcoming trial in Austin involving three murder suspects, and a growing need to use metal detecting wands to search individuals entering the Mower County Courtroom, Sheriff Barry Simonson requested the $4,500 machine.

This particular device was recommended by federal marshals, Simonson said.

In another issue, a position at the Law Enforcement Center, which previously has been designated as a clerk position, will now be a clerk/dispatcher position, thanks to a vote of 4-1 by the Mower County commissioners.

With the new designation, the front office clerk can be trained to dispatch and log onto the state computer, if for some reason another dispatcher needs help. The new position would receive $2 more per hour, paid equally by the city and county.

Simonson reported that the finance committee of the Austin City Council approved the change in position designation, a change from the council’s past decision to designate the position as a clerk only.

The county commissioners approved the change as well, but both the city and the county’s votes are contingent upon on the approval of the city/county LEC board’s approval on Wednesday.

The one dissenting vote, Commissioner Richard Cummings, said that he questions "whether the present staff is being used to its fullest capacity."

He requested to table the issue, but Commissioner Len Miller made a motion to approve the change and Commissioner Ray Tucker seconded the motion.

Simonson also stated that the sheriff’s department is in the process of hiring two new deputies. Expectations are that they will be trained by the time of the murder trial, which is expected to start in April.