Oconee government building to get onsite security

The county administration complex will get its own Oconee County deputy sheriff on duty to beef up security. In pitching the new addition to the Pine Street offices County administrator Amanda Brock cited studies showing that a law enforcement officer onsite and a law enforcement vehicle parked outside decrease the likelihood of violence at a government building. The County Council approved creating the new deputy position, which will cost an estimated $55,000-59,000 annually plus an initial cost for equipment of about $8,000. The equipment cost, Brock said, could possibly be recovered through a security grant. Even with the anticipated cost, according to county officials, it is cheaper than estimates to retrofit the 70-year-old building to make it more secure. The estimates have run as high as $700,000. The county administration building has had uniformed law enforcement officers onsite during high volume days during normal tax payment periods, according to Brock, with the cost running to large payments for officer overtime.