Behind the glass: new security for the Sudbury courthouse

Sudbury's courthouse now features a single-point security entry with metal detectors & bag screening. The province-funded upgrades are meant to boost safety.

The historic Sudbury courthouse looks a bit different after construction recently wrapped up on the One-Point Entry, the glass enclosure at the front of the 59-year-old judicial building on Elm Street.

“Really it’s in the name of safety in that everyone who accesses the courthouse – on any given day it could be in the hundreds – that it’s all in the name of providing a safe environment for those that work here, and those that are accessing it for their own purpose,” said Insp. Barry Ornella, with Greater Sudbury Police Service’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Division.

The service provides police officers who oversee safety at the courthouse, including at least two officers at the One-Point Entry.

Courthouse staff like judges, lawyers, clerks, and others have keycards to enter the facility.

Members of the public must go through the security access each time they enter the building even if they’re only outside for a short break.

One officer screens belongings like purses, bags, and items from pockets, while the other officer is stationed at the walk-through metal detector, checking everyone who walks through. There’s also a secondary hand scanner for anything that may have been missed.

“There will be either an alarm or a vibration depending on which setting I have it on, and the louder it is or the more vibration means that there’s more metal density, which could be an item of concern for us, such as a weapon,” the officer on duty told CTV News.

Our cameras were allowed inside the courthouse with permission from the Ministry of the Attorney General’s office.

“This allows our court security personnel to screen individuals, check their belongings to ensure that no weapons, no contraband or anything that could be of harm to anybody accessing the courthouse is captured and turned away before it enters the building,” Ornella said, adding the operation has been going well since the entry system began April 20.

Enhancements also included an accessible entrance and improved walkways.

The renovations were funded by the province as part of its plan to modernize the justice system and strengthen court security across Ontario.

“These measures are designed to streamline access while strengthening the safety of everyone who enters the courthouse,” Julie Facca, press secretary for Attorney General Doug Downey in a statement to CTV News.

Although they don’t keep stats on how many people have accessed the courthouse on any given day, one of the officers on duty said there have been more than 4,600 scans since the security measures began almost two months ago.

For anyone heading to the courthouse, Ornella said he suggested they leave a few extra minutes earlier to get through the security process.