Nearly half of City Council — and counting — had signed on to a letter requesting a review of City Hall security measures in the wake of recent shootings.
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) was behind the letter, which asked the Chicago Police Department and the city’s Law Department to review protocols at City Hall. As of Thursday afternoon, 19 other members of the City Council had signed onto the letter.
“Over the last eighteen months, the Council Chamber has seen many rancorous meetings, City Council members needing escorts out of the building, and protective services because of the subjects discussed and votes taken,” the letter says. “City Council has long been an open, accessible body to the residents of the City of Chicago; however, we must not leave its members’ safety to chance.”
Speaking to the Sun-Times Thursday, Lopez suggested ending security exemptions for guests of the mayor, Council members or their staffs, as well as potentially erecting a physical barrier between the council and the public in light of public speakers who are “hyper-partisan and highly motivated to be heard.”
Members of the public are already subject to metal detectors, along with restrictions on bags and other items like signs or banners. Disruptive behavior is subject to warnings or removal from the chamber. In recent years, heated debate has forced the chamber to recess early or impose other restrictions — though some were later dropped.
No timeline was given for the exploration of changes, though Lopez expects new measures “will probably come with a cost, especially if there are infrastructure changes we need to address.” Lopez said he had not yet received word back as of Thursday from either agency.
“This isn’t just reactionary to [the assassination of] Charlie Kirk, but this is bumped up because of it,” Lopez told the Sun-Times Thursday evening. “We’ve been having this discussion for several months, and now is the opportune time.”
Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) had not yet seen the letter when reached by a Sun-Times reporter Thursday but said she would be reviewing it to possibly join.
She said her and other Council members in the back row were often subjected to slurs from conservative audience members and that several members of the Women’s Caucus had been raising the matter of security for years.
“I think it’s something we should collectively talk about and take time with,” Hadden said.
The idea of a barrier between the council and public worried her. She said some security measures already had made it inconvenient for commuters, who often have bags with them, to attend meetings.
Hadden said the City Hall police detail has done a good job of trying to be accommodating, though it has remained an issue for some.
“Things have been challenging,” Hadden said. “I don’t support the idea of barriers between council and the public, I don’t think we’re at that phase. … This is a public forum and public house. They have increased security over the last couple of years, to the point it’s a little inconvenient for a member of the public to attend meetings.”
Lopez said the security overview would go both ways, looking to rid the council of unnecessary overstep that just causes headaches for those trying to be heard.
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), another signee on the letter, agreed, — citing TSA’s rollback of requiring people to remove their shoes — though he also lamented past political climates in the face of increasing political assassinations.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing, I don’t like the direction this country is going with this escalation of violence,” Hopkins told the Sun-Times Thursday. “It’s an ever-present threat in today’s political discourse. I’m old enough to know the world wasn’t like this before.”