La Plata County Courthouse Transitioning to One Secure Entrance for all Public Access

Durango, CO – The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office will soon be implementing new security procedures for the La Plata County Courthouse located at 1060 E. 2nd Ave. in Durango.

Effective March 4, 2013, all public access to the Courthouse will be through a single, secured entrance between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Screening will not take place after 5:00 p.m. except for certain circumstances as determined by the Sheriff’s Office.

Individuals (including delivery persons) must enter and exit through the southwest (clock tower) entrance and will be subject to personal screening upon entry. This new entrance will continue to be accessible for customers and visitors with special mobility needs. All other doors to the Courthouse will be secured and not accessible for entry or exit by the public; however, in an emergency, all exits will be available for departing the building.

The southwest (clock tower) entrance of the Courthouse has been reconfigured to accommodate the screening device that was previously on the second floor of the Courthouse. Persons now entering the Courthouse will be screened by a magnetometer, a walk-through electronic device used in the detection of metal objects, commonly referred to as a metal detector. All bags, purses and items in pockets will be screened through an x-ray machine that will be reviewed by a Sheriff’s Office deputy. Visitors are also encouraged to provide ample time to pass through screening to make their appointment times.

The Sheriff’s Office reserves the right to refuse any item deemed to be unsafe to be in the secure area. Guns, knives, mace and other items that can be used as a weapon such as hammers, box cutters, screwdrivers, etc. will not be allowed into the building and will not be held by Courthouse staff. Even those with a concealed weapons permit may not bring a gun into the secure area. Should no other option be available, a limited number of lockers will be available for visitors to store their items securely while they are in the Courthouse. Cell phones and all other electronic devices will be allowed into the building; however, they must be turned off while on the second floor where the courtrooms are located.

These new security procedures will impact visitors to all Courthouse offices, which will include: Administration, Board of County Commissioners, Finance, Assessor’s Office, GIS Department, Weed Department, Building Department, Planning Department, Human Services, 6th Judicial District Court,

County Court, Probation and all Courthouse meeting rooms, including the Anasazi Room (Commissioners’ meeting room).

“The decision to move to a single point of entry was made after much discussion with representatives of the Sheriff’s Office, 6th Judicial District Court representatives, County Administration and directors of the impacted departments,” said Captain Garrett Valencia of the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office. “The purpose of this change is to provide reasonable safety and security for the public, victims, witnesses, jurors and litigants, as well as for the County offices, employees, court staff and judges. We recognize that it’s important to achieve a balance between public convenience and public safety, and we believe we have done this with our new single, secured entrance plan.” Captain Valencia added, “We look forward to a smooth transition process, and we appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we adjust to these new protocols.”

For additional information about the secure, single point of entry into the Courthouse, please visit the La Plata County website at www.co.laplata.co.us or call (970) 382-6200.