6,000 weapons confiscated at county courthouse in 2011

Montgomery County Sheriff's Department deputies and Security Force personnel routinely seize guns, knives, razor blades or pepper spray from visitors trying to bring those belongings into the courthouse or other county offices.

Security personnel provide round-the-clock protection to county buildings and facilities 365 days a year and operate X-ray scanners at the courthouse, Domestic Relations Center, Family Court, Orphans Court and Youth Center.

On busy days, the courthouse draws about 3,000 visitors, and their purses, backpacks and briefcases must pass through a scanner.

Sheriff's Department officers recently showed off a sample of its confiscated collection of knives, blackjacks and everyday objects with hidden compartment capable of holding miniature weapons or illegal drugs.

Sheriff's Deputy Lt. Tom McDonald pointed to a small manicure kit affixed to a display board.

“You've got a lot of cosmetic cases that come into this building,” he said. “A lot of people don't think anything about it. They figure, it's just a pair of scissors, but you forget you have a serrated knife here.”

A 70-year-old man was carrying a walking cane that had a sword-like blade concealed inside.
“From now on we don't let anybody just walk in with their cane,” McDonald said. “The cane goes through the X-ray machines. When (this cane) went through the X-ray machine, we found a disturbing item inside. When it came up, (we) found a nice little sword.”

A confiscated ball-point pen and cigarette lighter hide small knife blades — and a large plastic comb concealed a sharp implement. Hollowed-out soda cans can be used to smuggle illegal narcotics or other contraband.

Security personnel have to keep an eye out for items that don't get X-rayed, such as shoes with secret compartments or plastic objects that could be used as weapons.