Project Overview

The New York State Unified Court System (UCS) consists of all State Courts across 62 Counties and organized into 13 Judicial Districts and four Judicial Departments. To ensure the continued safety and security of the Courts, the NYS UCS sought security systems assessments and recommendations for three existing courthouses in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island. To facilitate this goal, the
Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) commissioned a study.


PSE provided a comprehensive assessment of the existing security systems in the three courthouses.
This included meetings with stakeholders from the Office of Court Administration, the Department of Public Safety, and representatives of key groups from each local courthouse. Joining the needs
expressed by the stakeholders with PSE’s experience, PSE identified the following as the most
important administrative goals:

1. Security of personnel, guests, and property – The Security systems must directly aid in protection.

2. Operations and reliability – The Security systems must allow efficient and consistent operation by varying levels of staff and skilled Officers.

3. Cost efficiency and return on investment – Funding is ultimately always finite, so the investments into the Security Systems must address the changes which can provide the largest benefits.

NYS County Courts included:

• Bronx County Court (Bronx) (2007), Building 775,000 SF, 54 Court Rooms
• Kings County Court (Brooklyn) (2005), Building 1,100,000 SF, 84 Court Rooms
• Richmond County Court (Staten Island) (2015):  Building 184,000 SF, 14 Court Rooms

The facility conditions assessment process included the following elements:
  • Access Control (Card Access)
  • Video Surveillance Systems
  • Intercom
  • Building Command/Monitoring Centers
  • Security Electronics Infrastructure
  • Security Network Hardware
  • Security Network Infrastructure