I believe that it is time for an honest discussion about the measures in place to address security at City Hall as well as the MPD "high alert" status following the September 11th terrorist attacks. In preface, let me say that well before the terrorist attacks occurred, many members of the Minneapolis Police Department were concerned about the lax security at City Hall. It is simply too easy for someone who intends to do harm to wander unchecked through the building and into the offices. Unlike most government and courthouse buildings in a major metropolitan area, there are no metal detectors, x-ray machines or bag/package inspection. There have been no security guards - even at the front desk where the surveillance monitors are located. Personnel from building maintenance are simply not equipped to provide security for a government building. Of course, in the days after the terrorist attacks, those running City Hall have tried to persuade city employees and the public that City Hall is now secure. This is patently false. There has been no substantive change in the security at City Hall. The measures in place are a public relations game, a veritable "dog and pony show." Those of us who work in city Hall and in Minneapolis government and those of us who pay taxes here should be appalled at the ruse that passes for security and at the enormous waste of Minneapolis Police Department resources.
In the days since September 11th, City Hall has supposedly been made secure by posting uniformed Minneapolis Police officers at the 4th street entrance and in the tunnel to the Government Center. For sometime, the tunnel to the Federal building was closed although it has now been reopened. A uniformed Minneapolis Police officer is now posted there while Hennepin County provides security in the Government Center tunnel using private, Viking Company security guards. While this may seem reassuring to many, there are several issues of which you should be aware: 1. Although the officers are posted there, they have been ordered not to examine the bags and packages being brought into the building unless they have reasonable, articulable suspicion that the item contains a bomb (or similar). Federal buildings have a routine policy that bags and packages must be examined with an x-ray machine before being brought into the facility. The new Hennepin County Jail also inspects bags. Inspecting bags routinely is the only way to prevent bombs and weapons from being introduced into the building. Neither a foreign or domestic terrorist will announce he is a terrorist with ill intent. His job is to blend into the citizenry. In a memo to personnel serving at the City Hall entrances, Lt. Harris wrote that officers should be visible as their presence is intended to make people feel good. Feeling good is a far cry from being good. Someone with ill-intent would not be fooled by this game. A short study of the personnel and layout of City Hall would reveal it as an easy target with little real security. 2. The uniformed officers you see posted at the doors are generally investigators from the criminal investigations units. The officers are not assigned to a patrol unit with sole responsibility for City Hall security. They are each carrying a full caseload of investigations including homicides, assaults and kidnappings, rapes, child abuse, white-collar crimes, juvenile crimes, and gang crimes. Most of these investigators had too many cases to work well before they were assigned to stand at the doors watching people walking in and out and making people feel good. It should not make anyone feel good that these investigators must set aside their cases to create the perception that City Hall has a security force. There are many crime victims who are not receiving the good, timely service they should be able to expect because investigators' are forced to act as security guards. Surely, the city can create a plan to staff security at City Hall with a dedicated security force rather than this cobbled together waste. 3. The current security plan is wasteful. Not only is it wasteful as described in #2 above (wasting the resources of highly trained criminal investigators), but it just plain is expensive. Most of the officers acting as glorified security guards are sergeants. That means they are being paid about $30.00 per hour to stand around at the doors. $30.00 per hour! There must be a more cost efficient way to staff security. 4. The Minneapolis City administration is creating the perception in City Hall that there are far greater numbers of uniformed officers securing the building (ie "high alert"). The truth is that the Chief simply ordered that all investigators working downtown must wear full uniform. Suddenly it seems that City Hall is filled with police. In reality, those are the same police investigators who work in the building everyday. As you see them walking through the building, they have little to do with the operation of the facility. They are simply trying to go about their investigations. Unfortunately, in the quest to convince the public that it is doing something and make people feel good, the administration is willing to compromise criminal investigations. Investigators have a fundamentally different role in the department than uniformed officers. Manu of the things that make the uniform essential for street work, are cumbersome and difficult for the investigators. The uniform is very intimidating to many people. That serves to gain compliance and deter disturbances on the street; however, in an investigation, it is chilling. A suspect is less inclined to speak freely about an incident with a uniformed investigator. Many rape victims and abused children are not comforted in speaking with someone in uniform. Banks and businesses are often anxious to avoid publicity when a fraud or embezzlement happens. They expect investigators to visit the business, conduct interviews with employees and collect evidence discreetly - in business attire. An investigator in uniform cannot easily meet with informants to gather information because informants do not want to be seen with uniformed officers. An investigator in uniform is immediately noticed out in the neighborhoods. Even in an unmarked car, there is no such thing as checking out a place or person without being noticed. The officers working in investigations are dedicated and highly motivated, but resent being used in this fashion to lead people to believe something that isn't true. Is the investigation of crimes against Minneapolis citizens worth so little that investigators should be used in this manner and their ability to do good, timely work compromised? Is this really the manner in which we should be using the resources of the largest police department of experienced, well-trained criminal investigators in the state? It is time to substantively address the concerns about security at City Hall with thoughtful, carefully planned measures. The building must be monitored by dedicated security personnel who work with policies designed to actively control the kinds of materials that may be introduced into the building. Access to the facility must be monitored and controlled. The personnel assignment must be done in the most efficient and least wasteful fashion. Please let the Mayor, the Chief of Police and the City Council know what you think about real security at City Hall. Let's stop pretending and wasting our resources and get serious. Sophia Downtown worker/resident _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
