By MIKE SACCONE The Daily Sentinel
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Joint Budget Committee reluctantly agreed Tuesday to temporarily allow the Colorado State Patrol to strengthen security at the Capitol in response to a July fatal shooting inside the building.
The six-lawmaker panel approved $855,000 of the state’s $1.6 million request to hire additional security personnel, buy more metal detectors for the Capitol entrances and install security-card access on the building’s outer doors.
Peter Wier, director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, said the improvements should allow public officials, staff and visitors to the Capitol to feel safe and welcome.
Gov. Bill Ritter’s emergency budget request came after the July 16 shooting of 32-year-old Aaron Snyder Thornton after he tried to enter the governor’s office with a gun.
Since midsummer, visitors to the Capitol have funneled through a single basement entrance equipped with metal detectors and an X-ray machine.
As the panel approved a limited version of the Colorado Department of Public Safety’s request, Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, said the whole Legislature should take up the issue again next year.
“I’m a bit reluctant to make a decision on the Capitol portion of this (request) through this six-member committee,” Buescher said, “when I would rather (it) were discussed with the entire 100 members of the Legislature.”
Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, agreed and asked staff to arrange for House and Senate lawmakers to possibly convene a joint session to discuss long-term Capitol security improvement.
Rep. Al White, R-Hayden, told his peers, however, he was uncomfortable with knee-jerk policy reactions to an isolated, extraordinary incident.
“I believe that the Capitol belongs to the citizens, and I think when the citizens don’t have ready access to their Capitol, then the whole concept of transparency is obstructed,” White said. “The citizens already don’t trust us, and if they can’t get in easily to see what it is we do, then all I think we do is create additional mistrust.”
Mike Saccone can be reached via e-mail at msaccone@gjds.com.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Joint Budget Committee reluctantly agreed Tuesday to temporarily allow the Colorado State Patrol to strengthen security at the Capitol in response to a July fatal shooting inside the building.
The six-lawmaker panel approved $855,000 of the state’s $1.6 million request to hire additional security personnel, buy more metal detectors for the Capitol entrances and install security-card access on the building’s outer doors.
Peter Wier, director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, said the improvements should allow public officials, staff and visitors to the Capitol to feel safe and welcome.
Gov. Bill Ritter’s emergency budget request came after the July 16 shooting of 32-year-old Aaron Snyder Thornton after he tried to enter the governor’s office with a gun.
Since midsummer, visitors to the Capitol have funneled through a single basement entrance equipped with metal detectors and an X-ray machine.
As the panel approved a limited version of the Colorado Department of Public Safety’s request, Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, said the whole Legislature should take up the issue again next year.
“I’m a bit reluctant to make a decision on the Capitol portion of this (request) through this six-member committee,” Buescher said, “when I would rather (it) were discussed with the entire 100 members of the Legislature.”
Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, agreed and asked staff to arrange for House and Senate lawmakers to possibly convene a joint session to discuss long-term Capitol security improvement.
Rep. Al White, R-Hayden, told his peers, however, he was uncomfortable with knee-jerk policy reactions to an isolated, extraordinary incident.
“I believe that the Capitol belongs to the citizens, and I think when the citizens don’t have ready access to their Capitol, then the whole concept of transparency is obstructed,” White said. “The citizens already don’t trust us, and if they can’t get in easily to see what it is we do, then all I think we do is create additional mistrust.”
Rep. White has a good point. The shooting was awful, but it's not necessarily the start of a trend.Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, said he is worried the state is taking extreme action about one building when other state agency buildings in Denver or Grand Junction might have similar security concerns.
I voted for the proposal because the State Patrol surveyed people who work at the Capitol full-time and they overwhelmingly said they feel unsafe. I don't work in the Capitol full-time.
During the survey people pointed out a lot of less dramatic incidents during which they felt threatened.
The survey didn't include other state facilities. People in some of those buildings handle things like public benefits and legal issues that can bring out the worst in people.Wier said that while his agency values all state employees, policymakers “need to prioritize” the state’s critical infrastructure.
Mike Saccone can be reached via e-mail at msaccone@gjds.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment