LANSING – The new automated security system for the Michigan Capital Complex buildings is live, but security guards will likely remain in the lobbies of those buildings for the next few months.
The state is transitioning to a system where state workers will log into a website to provide the name and driver’s license number of their guest and when the guest arrives at the state building, they will swipe their license at a kiosk to receive a visitor pass.
The first lane of the new system (each building has three entry lanes) was turned on last week and the second, as well as a visitor management system, will be turned on after the January 1, said Jason Nairn, manager of security and emergency management activities for the Department of Management and Budget.
When that third lane will go live and the security guard removed is a more flexible target, Nairn said.
“It’s largely going to be based on the employees in the buildings and their agencies,” he said. “There are going to be long-term savings, but I don’t want to upset everybody in the short term.”
Some savings from the systems are built into the current fiscal year, so the departments can’t wait too long, but Nairn said it could be spring or early summer before all of the systems are live.
Nairn said there have been no technological problems so far with the systems, though there was some employee confusion the first day the first lane was live.
DMB is posting some online training on the systems for employees as part of the roll-out, he said, but the department also conducted information sessions in each of the buildings to walk state workers through the new system.
But some state workers still expect some frustrations with the new system that could lead to door-propping or other maneuvers. Nairn said the system has alarms that ring in his office if someone tries to defeat the system.
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