Defendant uses government ID to avoid court security

The man was seen on CCTV entering the Burnie Court Complex earlier this month and showing ID similar to a Tasmania Police badge, before walking straight past the x-ray machine.

He then showed the same ID to a second officer, and avoided the metal detector.

It was the latest in a series of incidents highlighted by the police union, which has argued for decades that security should be upgraded at the state's Magistrates courts.

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Another incident unfolded on October 1 in the Launceston Magistrates Court.

A defendant due to appear in court phoned the police radio room, and threatened to take a shotgun and "shoot police and other people".

According to union president Colin Riley, police had to convince the head of security and the magistrate in charge to allow them to protect themselves and the public by taking their firearms into the court.

"To respond to the dangerous threats posed, it took three phone calls from police to the courts to implement a safe response in the court confines to ensure the safety of police in attendance and the public," Mr Riley said.

"Although the police were eventually given permission, the lengths that the police supervisor had to go to have this authorised by the courts, as well as the initial push back from the courts was unsatisfactory.

"Given the current global climate, and thoughts to recent shootings in New South Wales, New Zealand and ever so frequent USA it is not unrealistic for there to be an operational need and requirement to be armed when in public, in uniform and on duty, and even more so when a threat is made directly about those police attending court to give evidence."

A Justice Department spokesman said there were "protocols in place for police to seek permission to bring firearms into court buildings and/or courtrooms".

"These protocols were followed by police and were responded to by the court in a timely fashion in this instance," they said.

Earlier this year plans to improve security at the state's 11 Magistrate's courts were announced after a WorkSafe Tasmania notice was issued.

But that notice was later withdrawn due to paperwork issues.

In an email to WorkSafe Tasmania on Friday, Mr Riley reiterated his concerns.

"Over many years our members have been required to coordinate work in workplaces under the management and control of the Department of Justice where they are routinely exposed to risks to their health and safety as a direct consequence of a lack of safe systems of work," he wrote.

"The Police Association of Tasmania have constantly raised the issues over many years with both Tasmania Police Service and the Department of Justice who have constantly pointed the finger at each other as the person responsible for remediating clear breaches of WHS laws."

It was understood WorkSafe would be returning to the Magistrates courts over the next two months to complete inspections.

The union has also argued for police to be removed from Supreme Court security duties and out-of-hours prisoner transport on the North-West.

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Responding to their concerns in an email on Tuesday, Justice Department secretary Ginna Webster said police could soon be relieved of both roles.

"I can advise that we are now in the final stages of preparing a proposal that will soon be presented to government in relation to long-haul prisoner transportation and court security in the North-West," she wrote.

"If supported, this proposal would largely eliminate the involvement of Tasmania Police in the long haul transport of inmates on the North-West Coast and remove them from the provision of security functions in the Burnie Supreme Court."