Armed guards at secure buildings weren’t enough for LaSalle county, IL administrators – a recent decision has made it so that every coutny employee in the county’s courthouse will be required to wear an ID badge and lanyard at all times during work hours. Members of the Courthouse and Jail committee designed the policy in February, and while the kinks of the program are still being ironed out, county employees can expect to have their ID photos soon.

Sheriff Tom Templeton sees the ID badges as a major step towards getting the county facilities towards the level of needed security, saying that the badges, constantly around the necks of employees, will provide instant identification, and help establish visual security more quickly. Guards and other employees should be able to easily tell whether an unfamiliar face is somewhere they belong – not by looking at their face, but at the badge around their neck.