Woman gets 7-inch knife past Lee County Courthouse security

A woman somehow got through the metal detector at the Lee County Courthouse with a seven-inch knife hidden in her purse.

Deputies found the knife after searching Crystal Ann Curtin’s bag. Curtin was in the courtroom on unrelated charges and got arrested for having the knife inside the courthouse.

Going through courthouse or jail security feels similar to going through a TSA line at the airport.

“It’s vital to protect these individuals, especially those who are involved in the judicial process, including defendants, witnesses, jurors and court staff,” said WINK News safety and security specialist Kristen Ziman.

But how did she get the knife passed security at the Lee County Courthouse?

“One incident where a concealed weapon gets past security is too many,” said Ziman, “so was this a personal problem? Or was this perhaps a, you know, metal detector problem?”

According to the arrest report, Curtin was there for a prior drug charge, and when deputies searched her bag, they found the seven-inch black and white camouflage knife.

Nevertheless, exactly how the knife slipped past security remains unclear from the report.

“Sometimes something gets past that individual, that human police officer, and so I have seen that over the years,” said Ziman.

A spokesperson for the court said, “The knife was not detected by the court security officer in conjunction with software technology utilized during the screening process. This incident has been addressed with the responsible court security officer, who will undergo additional training to enhance their screening capabilities.”

Taking accountability is the first step if it is a human error rather than an equipment problem.

“And then again, the next is to look at our protocols altogether,” said Ziman. “And to make sure, you know, how many times are these happening? Is this a one-off?”

No word was given about how often this occurs, only that the administrative office of the courts is aware of the issue, and the security guard will undergo more training.