Safety in the workplace and public areas has been in the front of everyone’s mind following the mass shootings at the township council meeting in the Poconos a few months ago, and most recently the Washington, D.C., workplace Navy Yard shooting.
While those factors aren’t the township’s main motive for installing metal detectors and heightened security at the municipal building, the thought of those tragedies doesn’t fall far behind.
“The [security updates] are not in direct response to the incident in D.C. It does, however, bring a heightened awareness. It’s timely, and we need to remain diligent,” township communications director Bridget Palmer said.
According to Palmer, the state Administrative Office of the Courts updated its guidelines requiring security to be implemented for municipal courts. The second reason was part of a “routine reevaluation of security in the building between the building and the township,” Palmer said.
According to Palmer, a portable metal detector was in the lobby of town hall for the Sept. 11 council meeting
“The goal is to have it out for the Sept. 26 meeting and other council meetings,” Palmer said, noting this procedure is part of a long-range safety plan.
“Part of the plan is, we’re looking into the redeployment of officers for a greater police presence,” Police Lt. Sean Redmond said.
According to Redmond, the normal protocol for the officers will be using the metal detector as a primary source of detection. A secondary search with a wand will be administered if the detector goes off.
“The bottom line is not the metal detector,” Redmond said. “The officers are looking for any kind of ‘normal suspicious activity,’ for which they have prior training. They’re trained to look for suspicious activities at various levels.
“If the metal detector goes off and there’s something in particular the officers need to look into, they will carry it on to the next level as far as investigating.”
According to Redmond, the officers are not changing what they do, but providing another tool for safety.
The township is utilizing officers already on duty and not costing the township any additional money. The department already owns the metal detectors.
Proper signage and notification will be provided to residents and visitors of town hall, of which there are many.
According to Palmer, there can be hundreds of people per day going through town hall, especially during tax season.
Though there are cameras in the building, they’re likely to be upgraded in the near future to continue to keep everyone safe.
The improvements are part of an overall safety plan, many details of which Palmer could not share.
“The overall goal here is to provide the safest, most secure environment in the long run. That is what we’re trying to accomplish,” Redmond said.
“You never want to be in a position where you can say, ‘we could have done this or that.’ We want to prevent tragedy,” Palmer said, noting the council is on board. “They want to see how this works and continue to see how we can improve how we operate. They’re supportive.”
Palmer said the township needs to continue to push for the safest environment possible.
Residents should keep in mind when visiting town hall to keep other outside items to a minimum, and “it goes without saying any weapons or potentially dangerous item are prohibited,” she said. Purses and laptop bags are subject to be searched, “without trying to be intrusive.”
In Redmond’s 20 years of service, he has not had or heard of any threats made directly to the township, “knock on wood,” he said.
“This is us being proactive. There are no threats, and there have not been any threats. We’re just trying to provide a safe environment,” Redmond said.
The next township council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 26, which will feature numerous proclamations. If you plan to attend, arrive early, Palmer said.
“You have to prepare for the worst-case scenario or the unimaginable in the long run,” Palmer said. “This is very much still a work in progress.”
For information on the next meeting, visit www.cherryhill-nj.com.
