‘Everything’s on the table.’ Amid Capitol chaos, how can Fresno City Hall be made safe?
Following the assault on the Capitol by a mob last week, a Fresno City Council member is leading the charge to review safety measures at City Hall.
Councilmember Luis Chavez said he will be asking his colleagues and law enforcement to reassess City Hall’s policies on carrying a concealed weapon (CCW) permits, a security fence around the back of the building, and safety protocols for elected officials and high-ranking staffers.
Fresno City Council a year ago banned anyone other than a member of law enforcement from legally carrying a gun into City Hall, even if they have a CCW permit.
There were also plans to put a fence around the back of City Hall to limit who can enter the parking area, but that was placed on hold after the pandemic arrived. The council voted to fund it in February.
But the world of elected officials looks much different in 2021 than it did a year ago.
Thousands of rioters — encouraged by President Donald Trump’s denial of his November loss to President-Elect Joe Biden — stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as Americans watched in horror.
“Everything’s on the table right now given what we saw at the nation’s Capitol and given how easy they were able to enter,” Chavez said Thursday. “Are we prepared to handle that and what is our plan?”
Chavez said the last time he remembers the council running through an emergency drill was at least four years ago.
Chavez has received death threats while holding office, he said. So have Council members Garry Bredefeld and Miguel Arias, they’ve said.
“It is our job to hear from constituents,” Chavez said. “It’s not our job to have to take vulgar accusations and threats of violence. That’s not going to be tolerated in the city of Fresno.”
Charter officials should be allowed to carry a CCW for their own safety, Chavez said. That would include officials and high ranking employees, like the city attorney and city manager.
Bredefeld was the only council member to vote against the original gun ban at City Hall.
Councilmember Nelson Esparza, who supported the ban on guns at City Hall, said Thursday he was willing to discuss City Hall’s security but remained confident the right amount of officers are placed inside. He did not say whether he changed his mind on CCWs.
Councilmember Tyler Maxwell, who has been on the job for about a week, said he feels safe at City Hall, although he has staffers who are anxious about security. He said he’s still learning the city’s protocols but said he could only support CCWs if they treated all employees and residents the same.
“It’s got to be an all or nothing approach,” he said. “My current position is if we’re not allowing the public to bring CCWs inside, there shouldn’t be an exception made (for charter officials).”
At least one council member has had a public confrontation with angry opposition at his home. A group showed up to Arias’s apartment May 12 blaming him for businesses that are closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Video of the incident showed Arias pushing at least one person on the stairs to his home. His two young children were inside at the time.
Arias said he recently bought a gun for protection.
“I’m a gun owner not by choice but because of the numerous threats I get and people showing up at my house,” he said. “I’m still reluctant to allow CCWs in the building (City Hall).”
He noted there are officers at City Hall for security, but said they rotate often. That could set up a situation where the officers have to respond to a scene and find multiple people with weapons and little clarity to separate the victims from the aggressors.
Former Mayor Lee Brand, a CCW holder himself, supported the ban on guns at City Hall.
Newly sworn-in Mayor Jerry Dyer, who also has a CCW, said he’s ready to talk to the council about allowing them again. Unlike Brand, Dyer is allowed to carry a weapon at City Hall because he is a retired officer.
Dyer said he approved an average of 30 CCWs a month when he was Fresno’s chief of police.
“In today’s environment, we’re starting to see things we never thought we would see — thousands storming the nation’s Capitol,” he said. “It has to cause mayors across the country to review security measures.”
Officials said they are also looking to talk about updating security protocol for potential breaches of the building and issues at the home of the elected officials.
Chavez said the council could discuss the issue as soon as Jan. 28, noting much of it would be in closed session. Policy changes would require a public vote.
