Criminal District Attorney David Weeks started seeking bids to build a bullet-proof wall in the Walker County DA’s office on Oct. 16
Walker County Engineer Jeremy Nemec prepared the design specifications for the new wall. The new construction plans will extend the existing wall to close off office staff and provide a higher level of security. This new addition would entail retrofitting the existing wall as well as the ceiling and connecting walls and floors.
This plan is a continuing course of action across the state following the murder of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, his wife Cynthia Woodward McLelland and Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. In response to this tragedy, Dallas County and Grayson County have also made strides towards creating and maintaining security plans.
Weeks spoke to KBTX about the stride towards this project.
“We do have more inmates in this town than most states have in their state penitentiaries, so that’s always a concern,” Weeks said. “Montgomery County is currently prosecuting two individuals that harassed me and also came to my home.”
The plan, available at the Walker County webpage, shows the mock up for an exterior transaction window to facilitate communication between office personnel and visitors while still remaining closed off. The door providing access through the bulletproof wall is to be solid wood with bullet resistant fiberglass and accompanied with a peephole.
All quote offerings for the contract were due Nov. 1 to the Walker County Purchasing Department. The project is estimated by KBTX to cost between $50,000 and $80,000. Any construction materials or services for this project cannot be charged a sales tax as Walker County is subject to tax exemption.