CASSOPOLIS — The county may soon bolster its security system at the Law and Courts Building, in hopes of safeguarding its employees in the event a similar tragedy to last year’s shooting in Berrien County befalls the Cassopolis facility.

Cass County Friend of Court Director Carol Montavon Bealor presented a trio of bids for new glass panes for the courthouse’s District and Circuit court customer service windows to the board of commissioners, during its committee of the whole meeting Tuesday in Cassopolis. The bids are for a pair of barriers, which are intended to prevent people from jumping over the service desks or from making physical contact with staff members.

The bids, solicited by the courthouse with the assistance of Maintenance Director Dave Dickey, were submitted by three companies: Quality Glass, with an estimate of $1,147.62; Midwest Glass & Mirror, with an estimate of $2,750; and Miller Davis, with an estimate of $4,100. Out of the three companies, only the latter two fulfilled the specifications of the projects, with Dickey suggesting the county award the work to Midwest, according to a memo delivered to the commissioners Tuesday.

Bealor said the window installation was suggested by staff with the Michigan Supreme Court, who audited the security of the Cass County Law and Courts Building shortly after the July 2016 shooting at the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph, where a prisoner killed two bailiffs after stealing one of their guns in an escape attempt.

Staff working at Cass County courthouse service windows are particularly vulnerable, as the counters are low to the ground and can easily be jumped over by the average person, Bealor said.

“The original design of the building called for windows in those spots,” Bealor said. “For cost saving measures at the time the building was finished, they were not put in, but they were always intended to be there, as that is best practices for court buildings.”

Cass County Administrator Karen Folks said that the county initially expected to pay 10 to 15 times more for the installation than the recent price submissions, she said.

District 6 Commissioner Michael Grice said he did not believe the safety apparatuses were worth the costs, as the service windows are currently guarded by courthouse security officers stationed a few yards away. In addition, guests undergo a metal detector screening at the entrance.

“How many incidents have we had over there?” Grice asked. “I know it only takes one, but you have a good team of security guards right there.”

The commissioner was also concerned about the message it would send to employees stationed at other facilities in the county, who would not have the same level of protection as those at the courthouse.

Bealor responded by saying that, in comparison to other county buildings, people who visit the courthouse are often doing so for unpleasant reasons, and that the courthouse also receives a heavier traffic flow than other facilities. She also said that courthouse employees, especially those operating the service windows, are sometimes treated as “peons” by customers, and have even been spit on or lunged at in the past by angry visitors.

“We feel this [the cost] is warranted, especially in light of what happened in Berrien,” Bealor said. “It’s not the same situation, but we have to be concerned about these safety issues. It would be something terrible to have happen, over something that costs a lot less than we thought it would.”

The commissioners will vote on whether or not to install the security windows during its Thursday, Nov. 2 meeting.