ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Winnebago County Board announced Friday that new security measures, including a metal detector staffed by a police officer, will go into effect next week.

Earlier this year, Board Committee Chairman Keith McDonald said “We’ve had some homeless people in the elevators here and wandering the halls and really impacting everybody’s safety in the building. Between that and the treasurer’s office and the clerk’s office, they sometimes handle large sums of money, so we want to make sure to put them in a position to be safe.”

The public will be required to enter the building, at 404 Elm Street, through security during hours of operation. A S. Church Street entrance will no longer be accessible except to employees.

The County also spent $33,000 on upgraded security windows. The cost of having a police presence at the building is expected to cost $140,000 per year.