City Considers Steps To Increase Security In Wake Of Bombing Council Agrees April 29 Blast At City Hall Shouldn’t Go Unheeded

A bomb explosion outside Spokane City Hall last month is triggering tighter security.

Over the next few months, the City Council will consider several steps, ranging from hiring a security guard to training employees in personal defense.

“It’s the nature of the times these days,” said Mayor Jack Geraghty. “If we can tighten up on security without any major depriving of public access, I’m certainly for that.”

The bomb that exploded April 29 was packed with nails and screws that flew more than 150 yards into Riverfront Park. No one was hurt, but a door was damaged at the Post Street entrance.

Shortly afterward, Diana Levin, the city’s risk manager, asked employees to suggest security improvements.

Levin recently recommended several of the suggestions to the council, which unanimously supported them. Each proposal must come back separately to the council for final approval.

They include:

Installing an identification card reader system that limits access to the building before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

Hiring a daytime security officer.

Installing safety film on windows to reduce breakage.

Placing volunteers on the first and third floor to give people directions and watch for suspicious visitors.

Training employees in personal defense and dealing with angry customers.

Installing mirrors in heavily trafficked areas so employees can see around corners.

Installing video cameras in stairwells, the treasurer’s office and the parking violations department.

Permanently closing the Post Street doors.

The plan’s total cost is about $69,000 for the first year, then $31,420 per year, Levin said.

Employees most frequently requested metal detectors, but the city has no legal authority to confiscate a person’s weapon or prohibit an armed person from entering, Levin said.

City attorney James Sloane said state law allows courthouses to confiscate weapons but isn’t specific about whether municipal buildings can. Most likely, Spokane would have to push for a new law giving the city that authority.

Assistant City Manager Bill Pupo said the plan keeps City Hall accessible to the public but makes employees feel safer. “Given the environment that we’re in, these measures are significant,” he said.

Tacoma spokesman Dan Voelpel said his city historically kept its building “very open” but is considering tightening security in response to Spokane’s bombing.

Seattle has a campus of municipal buildings, said spokeswoman Katherine Schubert-Knapp. Those housing law enforcement and elected officials have 24-hour security guards.

Portland has a full-time security specialist dedicated to keeping its City Hall safe. “The first rule of security is we don’t talk about it,” said Chuck Bolliger, a retired police officer who holds the title “mayor’s security officer.”

, DataTimes