The Indian River County Commission Tuesday gave Sheriff Eric Flowers the go-ahead to spend some $674,000 to upgrade security at the Sheriff’s Office complex in the wake of attacks on law enforcement headquarters and other public buildings elsewhere in the U.S.
Flowers said the focus is to provide a single entry to the campus so that employees will feel safe coming to work. He presented bids to the commission for new fencing; cameras and a secure card access entry system for doors and gates; and renovations to the visitation building and front lobby.
The county had previously budgeted those funds for major renovations. But in the wake of COVID-19, plans are being scaled back to tackle security first.
“We want to be wholly transparent so people know what they’re getting for their tax dollars,” Flowers said, adding that work would begin almost immediately.