Professional Systems Engineering, LLC provided design/consulting services for security, communications, and courts technology infrastructure for the new five-story, 130,000 SF Catonsville Court House. The LEED Silver certified, $54.5 million facility includes four additional courtrooms, increasing to a total of seven courtrooms, allowing more cases to be presented. The Court House also houses Judges’ chambers; two (2) specialty courtrooms; court administration spaces for clerks, cashiers, and commissioners; Offices for the States’ Attorney; and detention areas. The increased space helps courthouses and other judiciary facilities to meet the needs and provide a more secure and higher level of justice services to the community.
PSE assisted the Court in achieving these goals through the integration of improved courtroom technologies. PSE provided design services of Integrated security systems and the complete state of the art court technology infrastructures for audiovisual, courtroom audiovisual, and communications.
A/V infrastructure allowed for full integration between all courtroom and administrative technologies, creating a convenient and efficient environment. A unified IP network was integrated to provide a cost-effective and scalable system to expand with the facility’s future needs.
PSE’s best security design practices and most current security systems were integrated for an enhanced, more secured facility and parking garage. Security upgrades consist of segregating the traffic flow of the visitors, staff, and holding areas. The sally port and holding area for detention have distinct security level requirements apart from the rest of the complex with a door interlock scheme to prevent routine detainee contact with visitor/staff areas.
Some of the security upgrades and systems included building access control, card access control system, detention control center and monitoring stations, courthouse control center, vehicular gate/parking control, CCTV, intercom, and video surveillance system.
The high-quality designs and beautiful results reflect superior management by the States selected architect; PSE worked in lockstep with the nationally recognized justice planning firm, tailoring the program for all public safety components. This collaboration allowed for a successful opening under a stringent budget with complex delivery requirements.
