Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe is aiming to further enhance the office during his second term.

Slupe, 48, of Penn Township, who begins the new term in less than two weeks, plans more security improvements for the government center and courthouse.

“We're going to be more proactive on security issues,” he said.

He intends on installing bulletproof glass shields for deputies manning the government center lobby.

“The goal is to add a protective barrier for each deputy working in the lobby,” Slupe said.

He also wants to install an intercom at the lobby desk.

“We want to get better prepared,” Slupe said.

When the government center opened in 1991, deputies were not stationed at the lobby. But that changed in 2001, when the government center entrance became the only gateway for visitors.

Using more than $104,000 in U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding, Slupe this year replaced the 13-year-old X-ray machine and a walk-through metal detector with two new devices to handle large influxes of visitors.

The sheriff also acquired an Ionscan device, which detects explosives and narcotics, and a portable metal detector for use at other sites, such as a district court office.

He also wants to make it safer for police.

Using information culled from serving protection from abuse orders, his office would provide data electronically to 911 dispatchers.

The dispatchers would then tell police officers responding to a disturbance call at a residence of any pertinent information regarding the occupants.

Slupe plans on expanding existing programs as well.

The deputies recently underwent a training session at the Butler Township police range, which uses barricades and other tools to simulate various scenarios.

“We don't stand shooting all the time,” Slupe said about law enforcement. “You are on the move.”

He would like to do another training session inside the courthouse and the government center on a weekend.

“I'd love to do that again within the next year,” Slupe said.

The K-9 outreach program continues to expand with Sgt. Harry Callithen and his partner, the German short-haired pointer Bullet, giving presentations and doing drug searches,

“Most of the school districts invited us in,” Slupe said.

He also plans to complete the accreditation process for the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, which was initiated by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

That includes a review of what the office has done and is doing to be followed by a final inspection.

“I feel confident we will pass,” Slupe said.

His office would be one of a few across the country with accreditation. Slupe said there are no more than six county sheriffs' offices accredited now.

“I'm looking forward to raising our professional standard in this office,” Slupe said.

New identification cards for county employees are expected to be distributed next month.

The cards will supplant the two-card system used now.