Georgia City Council Weighs New Security Measures Following Mass Shooting -- Security Today

Georgia City Council Weighs New Security Measures Following Mass Shooting

The decision to add metal detectors to a municipal building in Marrietta, Ga. is getting moved forward following the Virginia Beach mass shooting.

By Sydny Shepard
Jun 04, 2019

The conversation surrounding security at a Georgia city municipal building has shifted in meaning for the Marrietta City Council after a mass shooting in Virginia Beach that killed 12 city workers and injured four more, according to the Marrietta Daily Journal.

“The people in public work, and that was the people in Virginia Beach, the public workers employed at the city, all of us are so vulnerable these days,” said Councilman Grif Chalfant.

Chalfant requested the city’s Public Safety Committee discuss purchasing portable metal detectors to use before meetings at City Hall. The discussion of purchasing metal detectors for Marietta’s City Hall has been a topic for the city council for a while, but the committee is now pushing the plan forward to the full council.

The city already has experience with metal detectors, as last February one was added to the courthouse in downtown Marrietta. Those entering the courthouse must be scanned by the metal detector, which is currently manned by Cobb County Police and the Cobb’s Sheriff’s Department deputies during all hours that the building is open to the public.

This new plan for metal detectors at the City Hall would only be to scan those coming in for committee meetings for now. Mayor Steve Tumlin said expanding to scanning entrants throughout the day could be on the table in the future.

The plan for additional security comes after 12 people were killed in a shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach. The suspected shooter in that case was an employee of the city and used an access card to gain entrance to the city building.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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