From loaded pistols to garden shears and Sharpie pens, court security officers have seen it all
Most people bring weapons and other contraband into Delaware courthouses by mistake, security officers say.
“They truly do not remember the extra-large pair of gardening shears”—or loaded pistols or other possible weapons—“that are in the bottom of the purse,” chief John Horsman of the Delaware Capitol Police tells the Wilmington News Journal.
But even seemingly ordinary objects must also be returned to the individual’s vehicle, stored in a locker while the person is in court or confiscated, once discovered at a security checkpoint. They include scissors, a lengthy keychain, cellphones, other electronic devices and Sharpie marking pens (which can be used to create graffiti).
In Wilmington, “the most common items on people coming into the courthouse are what we call credit card knives, which is basically a piece of plastic shaped like a credit card and it has a knife blade attached to it,” said Cpl. Jeffry Oldham. “People have them in there and forget. That is why we run wallets.”
Those who inadvertently bring prohibited items to courthouses generally aren’t prosecuted, the two lawmen note.
