Heavy police presence

I was alarmed to arrive at City Council on Monday and find eight Spokane Police Department officers dressed in tactical gear in the vestibule.

That is enough firepower to control a multi-blocks area of downtown!

I walked up to them to inquire about their presence and was less than reassured by their answer!

I discovered later that city officials had not been notified they would be present, and there was in fact a credible actual threat to warrant an extreme show of force.

The presence of tactical officers was not in any way reassuring — rather, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The danger became clear at the end when two citizens spoke.

In retrospect, I think the meeting should simply have been canceled, and the space cleared by the mayor and Council President Beggs. Leaving a room full of peaceful citizens at risk was not the choice I would have made.

Subjecting a large number of citizens to such a looming large risk was unacceptable.

I am angry about this, and will not be attending further City Council meetings.

John A Olsen

Spokane