April 18--Saline County Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said a problem with doors spontaneously locking and unlocking at the Saline County Jail has created a dangerous situation for inmates and his staff that requires replacement of the existing lock control system.
"It is a major concern for me when I have inmates in (jail) on charges that don't want to be in there and employees in there when a door could open at any time," Kochanowski said. "When you have equipment that you don't know when it is going to malfunction, it is a concern for everyone. It is a concern when my employees don't know where someone is going to come out from."
Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase an upgrade to the lock system for $91,000 from EO Integrated Systems, of Washington, Mich.
EO Integrated Systems will replace the control board used to lock doors in the jail with a touch screen and new software.
Capt. Roger Soldan, jail administrator, said jails with similar problems have solved the problem with the touch screen and new software.
Kochanowski said doors have spontaneously unlocked a few times in the past few days.
"This has become a problem of safety, not only for the staff, but people in jail," Kochanowski said after the meeting.
Kochanowski said if doors unlock spontaneously, there is a chance an inmate could get to and attack another inmate. Inmates also could attack jailers.
"We are charged with keeping citizens, employees and inmates safe," he said.
Not a new problem
Kochanowski said that ever since the jail opened in 1995, workers have periodically discovered doors leading to the lobby, cells and outside the jail that were supposed to be locked have been unlocked.
"This has happened off and on since the jail was built," Kochanowski said. "The system has been fixed different times and things have been put in, but it has come to the point where they say it can't be fixed because the software is obsolete."
Part of the reason, Kochanowski said, is because the jail was built cheaply.
"People have told us the parts for the jail were the last items on the shelf," he said. "They may have been obsolete when they were installed."
While the new system was selected from the low bidder, Kochanowski said the firm met all specifications. He said the highest bid of $130,000 contained many "bells and whistles" that his agency doesn't need.
"We just need something that will be there for the future," he said.
Kochanowski said the only option other than replacing the system would be to lock doors manually with keys, which would require more employees and possibly overtime.
Not a crisis
Salinan Ray Hruska, owner of Electronics of Salina, said the new system is not needed. He voluntarily studied the current system and thought it could be fixed.
"I feel it is unnecessary to replace this since they have been dealing with it for years," Hruska said during a study session before the meeting. "This is not a crisis, but a nuisance. They can handle it without spending $100,000."
Hruska said he believes the problem with the system is caused by electrical interference, possibly from the department's radios.
"This could be resolved if I have more time to do analysis and verify where it is coming from," Hruska said during the study session.
Hruska told commissioners they shouldn't rush to purchase the upgrade.
"I know it is hard to say no to the sheriff, but I believe restraint in this case is warranted," Hruska said during the meeting. "Don't spend for a perceived crisis that may not exist using a 'what if' scenario."
While he thanked Hruska for his report and interest in the jail, Kochanowski said he thought companies that have worked on the locking system have more expertise in the area than Hruska.
"If there is a fire, you call a fireman. If I have a medical problem, I call a doctor and try not to do it myself," Kochanowski said. "These people do this for a living and are the professionals, so that is who we are going with."
-- Reporter Chris Hunter can be reached at 822-1422 or by email at [email protected].
Copyright 2012 - The Salina Journal, Kan.
