Wedding rings to knives and things: courthouse metal detectors yield unclaimed property
James D’Alessandro, chief deputy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, shows a collection of knives, pepper spray, watches, phones and scissors that were left behind when they set off the metal detectors at the county courthouse.
This is known as a two-spike metal kubaton. The bar is held at the top of the palm so that the spikes protrude between the fingers.
Someone tried to enter Washington County Courthouse with this switchblade-brass knuckles combo.
The sheriff’s office is in charge of day-to-day security at Washington County Courthouse, and the chief deputy, over the years, has collected boxes of metal objects that never made it past the metal detectors or X-ray machines.
James D’Alessandro, the chief deputy for Sheriff Samuel Romano, asked owners of watches, scissors, box cutters and knives come to the sheriff’s office weekdays during regular business hours, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to claim their property.
“We haven’t destroyed anything as of yet,” D’Alessandro said. “It’s going to come to a point when you ask, ‘Where are you going to put it all?’ We have to do something with it.”
When a person sets off a metal detector at one of the two courthouse entrances, he or she must empty pockets or remove jewelry, place metal items in a tray and try again. Those with rings, bracelets, watches, cellphones or coin purses – anything that isn’t a lethal weapon – can retrieve their belongings immediately upon clearing the checkpoint. Potential weapons like scissors, box cutters, pepper spray and knives aren’t confiscated, D’Alessandro stressed, because their owners can pick them up as they exit the courthouse.
But some folks don’t. Although he had no wedding rings in his property boxes Friday, it surprised him to discover how long these tokens have languished before someone claims them.
“There must not have been much love there,” he observed.
Someone who is not a law enforcement officer but is carrying a concealed firearm must surrender both the weapon and the permit to deputies before being allowed to proceed. Unlicensed handguns are considered contraband.
Some of the more menacing items, such as a switchblade-brass knuckles combination, or a spiked bar known as a kubaton, won’t be returned.
“We may get a court order to destroy that stuff,” D’Alessandro said.
Several high-profile security breaches in the late 20th century that led to outbreaks of violence caused officials to ban weapons carried by the general public in courthouses. Metal detectors and surveillance cameras at the Washington County Courthouse preceeded the use of conveyor belts and X-ray screening of purses, briefcases and other bags.
In July, at the request of the sheriff’s office after an equipment breakdown, the board of county commissioners approved the emergency purchase of two multizone walk-through metal-detection systems and X-ray scanner tunnels at an estimated cost of $55,475. The new equipment is up and running.