State, city police enlisted to maintain peace at courthouses

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — State courts in Rhode Island are getting some added security.

The Providence Journal reports that four State Police troopers and four Providence police officers will be posted at two major judicial complexes in Providence.

Courts spokesman Craig Berke says the armed, uniformed officers will be patrolling the hallways at the courthouse following a number of recent incidents, including a Jan. 11 brawl at the J. Joseph Garrahy Judicial Complex that left a juvenile hospitalized and two men facing assault charges.

The majority of the officers will be posted at the Garrahy complex, which houses Family Court and Sixth District Court.

Berke told the Journal that the additional manpower will be for a limited time. Court sheriffs typically maintain the peace in the courthouse but are generally stationed inside courtrooms.