Entry to the Beaufort County Courthouse will look a little different this week, as the county rolls out the building’s new security plan.

Starting Wednesday, public entry to the back door will be prohibited — only courthouse employees will be able to access the back entrance with assigned key cards. Public entrance will be limited to the front door, where a security checkpoint will be manned by private security guards, and entry from the basement-level Magistrates’ Office for those in need of a handicapped-accessible entrance.

The Washington Police Department will also take over response to any incidents called in from the courthouse with the exception of those that take place in the courtrooms, Magistrates’ Office and the Beaufort County Detention Center, also located in the courthouse basement.

Washington Police and Fire Services Director Stacy Drakeford announced the change during the Washington City Council meeting Monday, after a conversation with Beaufort County Sheriff Ernie Coleman on June 24.

“The sheriff informed Director Drakeford of the expansion of courthouse security and advised him that if the private security needed assistance from law enforcement that the call would be transferred to the Washington Police Department,” stated a press release from Coleman.

Traditionally, the security of the courthouse has been handled by the sheriff’s office, however, a disagreement between Coleman and county officials about funding additional personnel for the courthouse led to a commissioners’ vote to hire a private firm to implement a new security plan. During the lead up to the county’s 2015-16 budget, Coleman requested that interim county Manager Ken Windley fully fund four additional positions — including salaries, cars and additional training and equipment — but was told only the salaries would be allocated, according to the press release.

“The sheriff attended the meeting that the security expansion was voted on and spoke against proceeding, not because he felt that additional security was not needed, but because the options had not been fully explored and he did not want the county to waste tax dollars because of lack of planning. The sheriff also spoke about the gap in services that were being discussed. Without powers of arrest, the security personnel would need law enforcement support,” the press release stated.

Washington police will now be providing that support, to fill what Chief Deputy Charlie Rose said is a gap in service in the courthouse from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

“In the past, (response has) always been sheriff’s office heavy, but we’re trying to make sure it’s as safe as it’s advertised, and to do that, we’re going to need help from the police department,” Rose said.

Rose said the five sheriff’s office bailiffs assigned to the courthouse are responsible for securing courts in session, and may not be available to assist the contracted security officers should an emergency occur.

“If they have a court running, their responsibility is the court,” Rose said. “A bailiff cannot leave a courtroom unattended.”

Rose said requesting WPD assistance will not change response times to the courthouse: while the sheriff’s office might be physically closer, deputies are more often than not patrolling out in the county, while WPD officers are patrolling within the city.

“I don’t think it will be an addition or subtraction (to security) — it will just be the difference in the color uniform of the person who responds to the call,” Rose said.

“In theory, the city’s broken down in zones and the courthouse is in zone one,” Drakeford said, adding that city police officers often answer emergency calls from county buildings. “If there’s major issues at DSS, we respond to that county building.”

Rose said enlisting assistance from WPD represents a change, but sheriff’s office deputies, and will bailiffs, will continue to respond to incidents in the courthouse as needed.

“If it was something of significant magnitude, the sheriff’s office would respond along with us,” Drakeford said.

“If there’s an emergency and there’s a possibility of someone getting hurt, every law enforcement agency that does business in the courthouse is going to respond,” Rose said.