Items Prohibited from County Buildings

The Security Operations Division of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the safety and security of Franklin County buildings, employees, and citizens. Each building with public access has a screening point of entry to ensure prohibited items are not permitted to enter facilities, therefore maintaining safety and ensuring judicial functions are not impeded.

Thousands of people pass through these security checkpoints every single day, with most visiting the Franklin County Government Center and Franklin County Courthouses. Many are unaware what items are allowed through security, and attempting to bring in any weapon or dangerous ordinance item into the government center is a fifth-degree felony.

While this list is NOT exhaustive, we want to clearly communicate what items are *not* permitted inside a County facility, and we encourage everyone to consult this list BEFORE trying to enter a County facility. *Any item deemed a threat to public safety by our Facility Security Officers may be refused, and illegal items could result in charges.

Again, this list is NOT exhaustive, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office reserves the right to refuse entry to any item deemed a threat to public safety by the on-duty deputies. Any weapon or dangerous item that is attempted to be brought into a County government property violates ORC 2923.123, a fifth-degree felony.

What happens if you are found with a prohibited item

If Facility Security Officers discover a prohibited item at a screening checkpoint, they will follow the established procedures.

Legally-possessed items

For any item that is possessed legally but prohibited from entering the facility, the person will be denied entry unless they either return the item to their vehicles or dispose of them in a designated disposal box. **Please note, Security Operations employees will NOT take possession of or dispose of legally owned prohibited items. (In extremely rare circumstances, they may do so with the approval of a uniformed supervisor.)

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has provided prohibited items disposal bins have been placed near each security screening points. These boxes are only for legally-possessed items, and items can NOT be retrieved once they have been dropped into the bin.

If you accidentally deposit a personal item into the Prohibited Item Bin (like a cell phone, wallet, keys, etc.), notify a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office employee. That employee will contact a supervisor, who will ask you to describe the item in order to verify ownership. But prohibited items will NOT be returned after they are placed into the Prohibited Items Bin.

Illegally-possessed items

For any item discovered at screening that is believed to be illegal, the Security Operations employee will notify the uniformed deputy on duty, and the person who brought the item in will be temporarily detained while the deputy investigates. If the item is deemed illegal, it will be impounded and the uniformed deputy will begin the process of filing criminal charges, or contact a supervisor for further investigation.

County employees are also subject to these prohibited items, with the exception of mace/pepper spray. Though mace/pepper spray are only permitted if the dispersion method is gel or foam. Stream and fogger dispersion are not permitted. The employee must also present a valid Franklin County employee identification card. If a County employee tries to bring any item deemed a dangerous weapon through a security checkpoint, they will be detained while deputies conduct an investigation, and their immediate supervisor will be notified.