Editorial: Review of security is necessary

Monday, Dec. 16, 2002 | 9:15 a.m.

Violence last week at the Clark County Social Services office in Henderson points up the need for a review of security procedures. Two female social workers and an unarmed guard were injured when an enraged client attacked them with knives, his fists and a chair. The guard rushed to aid the women and quite likely prevented a terrible incident from turning into a tragedy. The three sustained injuries requiring hospitalization, but it could have been much worse. Despite a "non-combative" policy adopted by the private security firm employing him, the guard rightly intervened.

The county is now left with the task of reviewing what happened and then assessing the level of security at social services offices. Las Vegas Sun interviews with employees have revealed that the numbers of clients are steadily increasing in proportion to the number of staff members. Many clients are often angered by long delays, paperwork and regulations they do not understand. Tensions can burst, as last week's incident shows, and increased security may be in order.

We recommend, first of all, that the county consider deleting the "non-combative" clause in its contracts with security firms. This may be good for insurance purposes, but does little to protect anyone facing imminent physical harm. If the security guard in last week's incident had abided by the clause, we hate to think of the additional harm that could have been inflicted -- not to mention the county's liability in the event of a lawsuit. Metal detectors, such as the ones used at the county courthouse, are worth considering. In the end, ideally, the county will have improved security without having created an unwelcoming atmosphere for its clients.