One in Three Cities Protects Leaders with Metal Detector Security

Every third city informally surveyed by Patch, recently, provides metal detection security at its city council or board of aldermen meetings. See the chart for specifics.

Sunset Hills has two police officers at the front door of each Board of Aldermen meeting in City Hall, checking handbags, briefcases, coats, hats and waving a high-test metal detector wand over visitors standing spread-eagle.

Creve Coeur's City Council unanimously agreed Monday to metal-detector security at key public meetings after officials learned of a . They will test the device over three months and then evaluate for the long term.

The city of Crestwood stations a police officer directly in front of aldermen during the board meetings--an officer who appears to be wearing a bulletproof vest. Police Chief Mike Paillou attends each meeting. Another one or two officers sit at the back of the chambers, by the doors. Officials said security measures are in place.

One  officer is in attendance at its city meetings now. With the new measure, a second officer would likely be added to operate the machine.

In an informal survey of neighboring cities, here are security measures Patch editors encounter when attending public city meetings. Five of 15 cities use metal detection for security.

Chesterfield

What do you think about metal detector security at key city meetings?