Fresno City Hall is adding a security fence. It protects only the top officials
Fresno City Hall is undergoing a few new security measures in a time when mass shootings have become common in public places, but a planned security fence will protect only the members of the city council and the highest-ranking employees.
The vast majority of the city’s roughly 1,100 employees who work daily at City Hall won’t benefit from the new security fence, which is expected to cost about $250,000 to install. The city employs about 3,400 altogether.
The council first adopted a new security plan in January that prohibited anyone from legally carrying a concealed gun, except for members of law enforcement.
A number of other security measures, including new metal detectors and on-site officers, were also added to City Hall.
Included in the latest plan adopted Thursday was the fence to protect just the portion of the parking lot used by councilmembers and charter employees.
“I just think that’s a terrible message to send,” Councilmember Garry Bredefeld said.
Bredefeld and Councilmember Mike Karbassi cast the only two “no” votes.
The latest vote came a day after a gunmen who had recently been fired entered a Molson Coors brewery in Milwaukee and killed five employees before killing himself, according to authorities.
Bredefeld pointed to the Midwestern shooting as an example that all employees are at equal risk in a mass shooting from a disgruntled person.
The security measures were sponsored by Mayor Lee Brand and requested after a consulting firm made recommendations. Brand said he remained concerned that fencing did not surround all of the parking lot.
The disparity in security measures offered to the highest ranking employees and everyone else was not lost on city employees, according to Sam Frank, president of the Fresno City Employees Association union.
“(W)hat is good for one citizen should be good for all citizens and when it comes to safety there should be no exemptions,” he said in an email.
Employee concerns
Anyone is prohibited from bringing in any potential weapons, such as pepper spray, knives and scissors. Employees can be permitted to carry pepper spray if they follow the proper protocol, according to city staffers.
City employees are concerned the new measures at each entrance could make them late in the morning or coming back from a break, according to Frank.
New employees who are still in their probationary period of employment are commonly fired if they are late even once, he said.
Councilmember Esmeralda Soria said there are provisions in the security plan to give preference to employees who need to get in first before a crowd waiting in line. She said the security measures are common practice.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” she said. “This happens across the board in public buildings.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
