The Keene Sentinel reported on the City Council’s finance, organization and personnel committee meeting from Thursday, January 10.
Mitch Greenwald, who asked the council to consider requiring everyone to pass through a metal detector on the first floor prior to entering city meetings, said he did not have an opinion on whether the proposed step should be taken. “I’m not asking for this,” he said. “I wanted a discussion.”
Before allowing the public to speak, he set rules for the discussion that limited what could be mentioned. The Sentinel reported:
Members of Free Keene, a local libertarian group that oppose what it calls victimless crimes, such as public drinking and marijuana use, also weighed in on the issue Thursday night.
“It is fear-based,” said Ian Freeman, who hosts a local radio show called Free Talk Live. “It’s security theater.”
Freeman said anyone meaning serious harm to a city or court official would likely not be deterred by a metal detector, and could wait outside the building for the target to exit.
