The installation of ballistic shields in the lobbies of three principal Chester County government buildings will begin this week as a result of a risk-assessment review undertaken by the Chester County Sheriff’s Office in 2014.
The protective shields, made by Ibis-Tek, were ordered earlier this year, and delivered in late July, following receipt of a grant for the purchase. They will be installed at the Chester County Justice Center, Government Services Center, and the 313 W. Market Street building, a county press release said.
“With the increased incident of assaults at educational and government facilities, we felt additional precautions needed to be taken to ensure the safety of the visiting public, security personnel, county employees, and our deputies at all three of our main county buildings,” Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh said in the release.
“These ballistic barriers are designed to minimize the possibility of injury to the monitoring deputies and maximize their capacity to defend against, and neutralize threats presented by an active shooter or attacker,” Welsh continued. “These barriers provide maximum visibility and ballistic protection to deputies for a quick and accurate response to any threat.”
Many courthouses and government buildings throughout Pennsylvania currently use ballistic shields as part of their security measures.
Welsh said the ballistic shields were not a response to an Aug. 25 incident, during which a county resident lunged at a deputy sheriff with a knife at the Justice Center’s security checkpoint. Curtis Smith, 34, of Coatesville and Downingtown, was then fatally shot by another deputy, a shooting deemed justified after an investigation by county detectives.
“There’s no way to determine after the fact what effect, if any, these barriers would have had on this particular attack,” Welsh said. “Every incident is different, which is why we train for multiple situations.”
