CHIPPEWA FALLS — From her new office in the center of the first floor of the Chippewa County Courthouse, Deputy Megan Olson can quickly get to any of the doors in the building to address any security needs that arise. Her monitors show more than 50 security cameras placed inside and outside the building.
Olson started her new duties as the courthouse security officer last week. Along with monitoring who enters the building, she will bring inmates from the jail to court and attend county board and some committee meetings. Chippewa County already had one security officer, Mark Hollister, but his office is located on the second floor, near the three courtrooms. By putting Olson’s office in the heart of the building, it gives a visible security presence as people enter the facility.
“It’s kind of in the center of all the entrances,” Olson said as she showed off her office by the elevators. “So, we can kind of have a screening process and have that threat assessment. We can step in and just have a presence, and sometimes we can help diffuse a situation.”
Olson is a Chippewa Valley native and she earned her associates degree in criminal justice from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Rice Lake. She joined the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office in 2013 and has been a jail deputy and patrol officer, then was promoted to jail sergeant.
“I wanted a different experience, and wanted to help in a different way,” Olson said of why she applied. “It’s about having the ability to help people, often on their worst day. And it’s interacting with the public.”
The need for a courthouse security plan compounded when a Duluth-area man made threats to a judge and the entire courthouse complex in May 2023.
Olson said she is pleased with the reaction she’s seen in her first couple weeks on duty.
“People who have their offices on the first floor have stopped and said they are glad I am here,” she said.
Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes spoke highly of Olson, saying she was chosen “due to her experience and education both in the jail setting and patrol setting.”
“Deputy Olson possesses a professional and approachable personality that will be a great fit to this position as she is able to welcome visitors with a friendly smile, but possesses the ability to be firm in confrontational situations,” Hakes said. “It was a competitive process, but we chose her to fulfill the role based on her dedication to our office as well as her personality.”
Chippewa County officials have reviewed plans for several years that included closing all but one door, so the public would all have to enter the courthouse through one entrance. However, that option was costly, and the board opted instead to hire a second security officer. The measure was approved by the county board in May.
“Security is obviously a high priority to the county board,” said County Administrator Randy Scholz. “We’re trying to have security with the least impact on the public we can. All the counties are looking at security. The judges have been very involved in this process, and they wanted security throughout the building, and not just for the courts.”
County Board Chairman Chuck Hull said the added security measure was needed.
“This has been looked at for a long time,” Hull said. “So, it’s nice to see some action on it. It’s nice to have that safety for the staff and the public.”
Scholz released a report in January that showed remodeling the Chippewa County Courthouse to make a single point of entry was expected to cost between $500,000 and $1 million. If that plan had moved forward, everyone would have needed to enter the doors in the northwest corner of the building, as that is closest to most of the parking lots.
There are presently five doors to the courthouse: one on the east, one on the north, two on the west and one in the cul-de-sac on the south side of the building.
Scholz said they discussed closing the eastern entrance to the public, but that wasn’t feasible because it is a handicap-accessible door. However, they may opt to close an inner door that allows people to immediately go to a staircase to go up or down levels.
In 2013, the county board adopted a Government Campus Integrated Security Plan, which they continue to implement. A 2012 study indicated Chippewa County should hire two full-time bailiffs. Hollister was hired as the first full-time bailiff and courthouse security officer in 2019.
Local News
