Due to ongoing staffing shortages at the Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors expanded a contract with a private security firm for Superior Court services.

Triumph Protection Group already provides entrance screening at Superior Court facilities, and the increased contract will have staff also do some security in courtrooms, which is typically a job for Sheriff’s Office bailiffs.

The bailiffs also escort in-custody defendants from holding areas to their court hearings.

Undersheriff Craig Bonner told Noozhawk that the Sheriff’s Office has made “significant strides” in hiring, recruiting, and training new personnel, but the long training process means it could be a while before shortages are alleviated.

The department has reported staffing shortages for years.

“We work closely with our various partners, including Superior Court leadership, to mitigate the impacts of our staffing shortages,” Bonner said. “Most recently, this took the form of a short-term agreement that will allow the temporary expanded use of private security personnel to augment the use of Sheriff’s Office deputies in providing safety and security services at Superior Court facilities.”

The Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide bailiffs for court security services and the Superior Court will have input on the daily management of Triumph, including assignments and staffing decisions, according to the county contract.

Triumph will provide three security guards and one security supervisor to provide security services in particular courtrooms, according to the board letter.

In a document shared with the supervisors, Sheriff’s Office personnel prioritized keeping bailiffs in courtrooms for criminal trials and proceedings, including felony and misdemeanor jury trials. Bailiffs would be drawn from courtrooms hearing small claims and general civil cases first.

According to the agreement, Triumph staff will be responsible for maintaining an armed presence in the courtroom and assisting in administrative in-court tasks as bailiffs do, like passing paperwork from clerks to defendants and attorneys, and ensuring proper courtroom demeanor.