Niles council approves additional officer for court

February 21, 2019 at 12:06a.m.

By JORDAN COHEN

NILES

City council, which had been split over funding a full-time police officer for court security, approved the issue 6-1 Wednesday after a personal appeal from Municipal Court Judge Chris Shaker.

The judge told council he could have issued a judicial order had council rejected the ordinance.

“A decision by the court to mandate the hiring of a security officer is supported by settled law,” said the judge as he read aloud a letter he had addressed to council. “Funding orders of this court enjoy a presumption of reasonableness.”

Councilman Ryan McNaughton, D-at large, cast the only negative vote.

Last May, the court received a grant of more than $171,000 to fund a magnetometer and a scanner for court security. However, only a part-time officer was available, which Shaker indicated posed a security risk that had to be corrected.

Councilwoman Linda Marchese, D-3rd, who heads council’s safety committee indicated funds to pay for the officer will have to come from several different departments.