Harrison County adds metal detectors outside board meetings

GULFPORT -- Anyone entering a Harrison County Board of Supervisors meeting will be required to pass through a metal detector, one of a series of steps the Harrison County Sheriff's Department is taking to better secure the courthouses.

Monday was the first day with the metal detector outside the meeting room on the first floor of the Harrison County Courthouse in Gulfport. A similar setup is being installed in the Biloxi courthouse as well.

Harrison County Sheriff's officials said the move wasn't in response to any specific threats.

"We're just changing the safety of the courthouse and this is one of the steps," said Sheriff Troy Peterson.

He said he's also reduced the number of entrances to the area with courtrooms, and other "little changes" could be made as they come up.

Metal detectors have been at both courthouses to limit second-floor access, where the courtrooms are, since 2002.

Neither Jackson County nor Hancock County use metal detectors at board meetings.

This story was originally published March 7, 2016 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Harrison County adds metal detectors outside board meetings ."