Members of the public attending City Council meetings in person will see new security measures for their own safety, as of Monday, August 12.
“All persons entering the Mike Balkman Council Chambers during a City Council meeting must pass through a security screening, including a metal detector and bag inspection. Please plan your arrival time to the meeting accordingly,” reads a statement from the City. “Firearms, knives, weapons (such as pepper spray, tasers, batons, etc.), and signs larger than 18 x 24 inches are prohibited from City Council Chambers, and no one with any of these items will be permitted to enter.”
These new procedures are in line with California Code, Penal Code 171b, which reads (in part), “Any person who brings or possesses within any state or local public building or at any meeting required to be open to the public pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of, or Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of, the Government Code, any of the following is guilty of a public offense punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or in the state prison: Any firearm; Any deadly weapon described in Section 17235 or in any provision listed in Section 16590; Any knife with a blade length in excess of four inches, the blade of which is fixed or is capable of being fixed in an unguarded position by the use of one or two hands; Any unauthorized tear gas weapon; Any taser or stun gun, as defined in Section 244.5; Any instrument that expels a metallic projectile, such as a BB or pellet, through the force of air pressure, CO2 pressure, or spring action, or any spot marker gun or paint gun.”