Prosecutor seeks county help adding security cameras at office

Holmes County prosecutor Matt Muzik dropped by the Holmes County Commissioner’s Office Thursday, Nov. 20 to discuss the need for additional security cameras at his office and in the prosecutor’s office building.

Muzik said that in the decade he has served both the assistant prosecutor and prosecuting attorney for the county, a growing need for additional security measures has developed.

Muzik suggested placing several cameras on the inside of the East Jackson Street building with another on the outside of the premises in the parking lot.

“I’d be grateful to whatever you could provide,” Muzik said, noting some rooms contain critical equipment for several offices throughout county government.

One point of discussion that came up was where the monitoring systems would be, and Muzik said the best-case scenario is there would be monitors placed in both the prosecutor’s building and in the Holmes County Courthouse.

“It would be helpful to have the guys at the front desk at the courthouse being in the loop,” Muzik said.

Discussion then centered around the cost of purchasing and installing the equipment, and Commissioner Dave Hall said should the county get involved, Muzik’s office could use some of the Furtherance of Justice dollars available.

“That would definitely be the proper use of FOJ funds,” Muzik said. “Since I’ve taken over as prosecutor, we have returned I think a minimum of $20,000 to the commissioners from FOJ funds. It would be a good use of that.”

Muzik said all prosecutors have that fund in statutory, but if the department doesn’t use all the funding, it gets returned to the commissioners.

Traditionally, prosecuting offices spend FOJ funding on operational costs like staff salaries, travel and witness expenses, and programs that support the criminal justice system. This funding also can support community-based initiatives, data analysis for transparency, and efforts to reform the justice system itself such as victim assistance and research.

In explaining his department’s usage of the fund, Muzik said, “We have a case-management system that is computer based that has a subscription fee. Our attorneys go to trainings, so we pay out of that fund. It’s something provided by the commissioners, but it is required by state law. I try to be a very good steward of it and return quite a bit of it every year.” 

Commissioner Joe Miller said the commissioners would contact Dean Anderson, co-owner of Blueshift Wireless in Holmes County, to investigate the initial cost of a system.

Anderson installed the current courthouse camera system, and the commissioners felt he would provide a good resource for cost estimate and matching the courthouse system.

In other news from the prosecutor’s office, Muzik said former assistant prosecutor Michael Bickis recently accepted a position in the juvenile court system to become a magistrate, so in response his office hired new assistant prosecutor Matthew Latanich.

“He has a great mindset and great work ethic,” Muzik said of Latanich.

According to Muzik, Latanich went to law school in Pennsylvania before working as an assistant public defender in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Muzik said that is a huge benefit because he has worked among the Plain People population in Lancaster.

“It’s pretty neat that he already has some familiarity with our community,” Muzik said.

As for Bickis, Muzik had nothing but high praise for his former assistant.

“I’m excited for him in his new position,” Muzik said. “I think he will do an excellent job as magistrate, and I believe he would excel in any legal capacity.”