NORWICH – Security has become more a concern among public officials at the Chenango County Office Building in Norwich in recent months, beckoning them to consider building surveillance enhancements for the protection of public employees.

In the hope of improving building safety and security for county employees, members of the Chenango County Agriculture, Buildings and Grounds Committee discussed the likelihood of upgrading the building’s security system at a committee meeting held last week. Although no approval for upgrades has been finalized, the issue has been on the back burner for some time, say officials, and recent events statewide and nationwide have drawn more attention to it.

“This is a sign of the times, unfortunately,” said Julie Gates, County Director of Public Facilities. “There are a lot of people who work in that building and obviously, we want everybody just to be safe.”

There are a total of eight entry points into the building, including maintenance and storage entryways, and several points of access that are more prone to public use. Hopes are to limit access to primary entry points on the north side of the building (the Fair Street entrance) and the east side of the building (from the main parking lot).