Mr. Mayor, Tear Down That Wall!
The Laurel Museum’s 15th Anniversary event offered me a reminder of what’s good about a small town. A recent visit to Laurel City Hall suggested that we may have lost an important element of that.
The Museum’s 15th brought together more than 90 folks to celebrate a local institution that’s been a great partnership between the LHS and the City of Laurel (disclosure, I’m very active in the LHS). There were past LHS members, representatives of the 1996 Mayor and Council, and also the current LHS officers, and Mayor and City Council. Conversations were fun, polite and the pols – past and present – were all very accessible.
My visit to Laurel City Hall last Friday to pick up the generously loaned sound system for Sunday revealed something else. The city has installed an intimidating glass/plexiglas wall right inside the reception area that runs along the front desk and ends in a floor to ceiling wall with an electronic door.
There’s not even room on the reception desk to leave an envelope bigger than a letter. Anyone wanting to go past the front reception desk now has to talk through a small cut-out and push ID through it, to get a badge--which you needed before. Visitors, once approved, have to be buzzed in to enter. I’m sure the city feels security reasons required this.
Personally, I found this sad, and disturbing. Something important has been lost—for both residents and city employees with this wall’s installation. In a small town like Laurel, officials and city employees are people you know, and to whom you can talk. There is a feeling that we’re all in this together.
This new entrance is a both a physical and psychological barrier, locking out the public and essentially dividing city employees from their constituents. The new barrier at the Laurel Municipal Center sets up a we-versus-them feeling. With the public being the “them” on the outside. The goal may be security, but the fact is a wall like this says “we think you are a threat, and we don’t trust you to come into OUR building.”
Laurel is a better place than that. It shouldn’t divide its citizens from their government. So, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan I say: “ Mr. Mayor, tear down that wall!”
Linda Reid
5:13 pm on Monday, May 23, 2011
I think it should stay up. Security for the employees of the city is number 1 - accessibility number 2. I work in DC and remember that before there were metal detectors and ID checks at the Police Headquarters several police officers and FBI Agents were killed because some nut case got called in for questioning. What's to say that someone who is dilusional doesn't come into City Hall and do the same thing. So, Mr. Mayor - leave the wall up - and thanks for protecting your employees!
Karen Lubieniecki
6:22 pm on Monday, May 23, 2011
Linda thanks for your comment...but just to remind you that the Laurel Police Department is at a different location. Security there I can understand. And Laurel city hall isn't DC. I don't know DC's city hall, but do they have plexiglass barriers or just a security check?
oldtwnlaurel
1:40 pm on Thursday, May 26, 2011
The security of the public employees of our City should take priority. People seemed unable to even follow the simple rules involving signing in and keeping a visitors badge visible, so another level of security was added. At a time when threats of violence, and acts to back them up, are on the rise, it is wise of the City to take preemptive steps for the security of our public servants, and others, in the building.
Susan Hadley Harding
2:45 am on Thursday, July 7, 2011
I have had the personal experience of sitting at that reception desk, I am happy that the City was being preemtive with their security!