Fort Lauderdale increases security at commission meetings
Fort Lauderdale City Hall
By Larry Barszewski, Sun Sentinel
Metal detectors will be used starting Wednesday at Fort Lauderdale City Commission meetings.
Security is going up a notch at Fort Lauderdale City Commission meetings.
Beginning Wednesday, people attending commission meetings will be screened by metal detectors. The detectors will be in use at the ground-floor commission chambers and at the commissionâs eighth-floor conference room, where commissioners hold their afternoon workshops prior to their evening meetings.
Visitors wonât be required to remove their shoes or belts before going through the detectors. There will be handheld metal detectors for people who canât use the walk-through detectors for medical reasons.
Florida statutes prohibit weapons and firearms at the meetings, officials said. Any illegal items will be confiscated.
People who attend the commission meetings should give themselves extra time to go through the detectors.
The new security measures are the next step in beefed-up protection at City Hall that started in June, when visitors began signing in at the main security desk and were required to be escorted to their destinations by official city greeters.
City officials want to make your visit to City Hall as pleasant as a trip to the airport â with security check-in, visitor waiting areas and âofficial greetersâ to escort you to and from your destination.
At least you wonât have to remove your shoes.
City officials want to make your visit to City Hall as pleasant as a trip to the airport â with security check-in, visitor waiting areas and âofficial greetersâ to escort you to and from your destination.
Visitors are still able to pay their water bills at the first-floor counter without checking in.
Larry Barszewski is a Sun Sentinel reporter and can be contacted at lbarszewski@tribpub.com or (954) 356-4556.
