Entering the Taylor County Courthouse just became a little bit harder.

A move to tighten courthouse security and improve safety, using airport-like metal detectors and a closed-circuit camera system, goes into effect today.

Sgt. John Cummins, a sheriff's office spokesman, said visitors should be prepared for slight delays during the initial days of the security system's implementation.

In addition, Cummins said, the public should note that the only entrance to the courthouse -- beginning this morning -- will be through the southeast doors.

"They will no longer be allowed to enter the building through the other doors," Cummins said.

County Judge George Newman said the courthouse, constructed in 1972 with four entrances, was built for accessibility rather than security and that the changes are needed to catch up with the times.

"It's going to be a change for people who are used to coming in. And I hate it," Newman said.

"I kind of wish my term was up before we had to do this. But it was a necessity. We've postponed it as long as we can."

The county began looking at changes to courthouse security because of concerns of judges, prosecutors and other criminal justice officials, he said. Numerous shootings have taken place in recent years inside courthouses across the country, though none in Abilene. In past potentially volatile cases, Taylor County officials have beefed up manpower at the courthouse.

"Every year now we have law enforcement personnel killed across the state of Texas -- and a lot of that is around courthouses," Newman said.

Cummins said officers will use a first-floor control room to monitor closed-circuit cameras inside and outside the building.

In addition to the surveillance camera system, Newman said, the building has controlled access.

"They will have to come in through the southeast entrance, and there will be signs all around the courthouse directing people there," Newman said. "When they come in, they'll go through very much what they go through at an airport. They'll walk through a monitor, and they'll pass their briefcases or their purses through an X-ray machine before they have access to the courthouse.

"That's just the time that we live in," he said. "It's a sad commentary on society. ... It's a public building, but it's for their (the public's) safety that we're doing this."

Cost of the first of three phases of the security upgrade is $150,000, not counting the $250,000 a year that it will cost to pay for a supervisor and four deputies assigned to operate the new metal detectors and closed-circuit camera system, Newman said.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Jack Dieken announced that Deputy James Hill has been promoted to the rank of sergeant and that Hill will oversee the department's expanded Courthouse Security Division. Hill, a native Abilenian and 1980 Cooper High School graduate, will be charged with supervising and aiding the four courthouse-assigned deputies.

"James' years of experience with this office have afforded him the skills necessary to perform this job," Dieken said in a release. "Public and employee safety while at the courthouse will be his primary concern."

In the coming months, Newman said, the county will move toward building a sally port on the east side of the courthouse to act as a holding facility for inmates with court dates.

"That way you don't have to expose inmates to the public as they are coming in," Newman said.

Newman said the third phase of the security upgrade will be to "completely renovate our courtrooms."

"We'll get as far as we can this year and then probably be in the progress of doing this for the next three years before we're through," he said.

A part of the courtroom renovation, Newman said, is upgrading technology that can be used in court cases.

Total cost for the final two phases, he said, is estimated to be $2 million.

The county also recently completed a $100,000 security camera project in the county's Juvenile Justice Center, Newman said.