A WRAL investigation into the attendance record of a local district attorney sparked a new investigation.
Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry said one explanation for her low attendance in office was due to "frequent technical and vendor issues with the courthouse’s security system, which have been a longstanding concern."
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That sparked concern from some who reached out to WRAL Investigates, wondering if the building is safe. Thousands of people use it every day. So, WRAL Investigates started asking questions and still has not been given any evidence of courthouse security issues.
WRAL Investigates started with Deberry, asking her for clarity about her specific concerns, documentation to back up her claims and whether her concerns have been addressed. She wrote, "No comment."
WRAL Investigates then went to the Durham County Sheriff's Office, which oversees security for the building. In a statement, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said, "We don't have any reports of issues with the security system at the courthouse."
Finally, WRAL Investigates started asking Durham County in January if it has information to support Deberry's claims. WRAL Investigates still hasn't received a response.
The Durham County Courthouse was built in 2013 under the watch of former Sheriff Mike Andrews. He said security was on the top line when it came to the needs for a new courthouse.
"Priority was number one. That came up in all of the meetings that occurred," Andrews told WRAL Investigates.
The project website from the construction firm details the intense security at the building. It mentions there are "175 card readers for doors."
That raised questions about another of Deberry's claims about her attendance. She said she could be in the office without ever swiping in.
Andrews told WRAL Investigates that it's a possible explanation for key card data showing Deberry only in the office about half the work days over the past couple years. But Andrews also said it’s unlikely.
"Someone can open a door, if there’s a group of people going through the building in a secured location, if there are a group of individuals going through a door, but just in general movement, even coming here to park, they have secured parking areas,” Andrews said. “They have to utilize their swipe card just to enter in the parking area of that location."