What seemed like an open-and-shut issue with securing the west entrance door at the Community Center (lower-level entry from the Library parking lot, near the playground) became a heated discussion in the regular meeting of Monday, June 27, as the Greenbelt City Council contemplated the specter of criminal actions there. Since June 15, and previously unannounced to council, entry to the Community Center through the west door has required either a key code (for staff and tenants) or a call to the office for access.
Security Posture
The rationale for the closing, as explained by Captain Tim White of the Greenbelt Police Department, is one of securing the building against access by individuals with criminal intention, especially in light of recent violence. A key component is the elimination of unmonitored entrances and going to a single access point model, as recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Councilmember Rodney Roberts was highly skeptical that such measures actually deterred individuals bent on violence or mischief, noting that recent mass shootings would not have been or were not deterred by such measures.
Community Center Supervisor Di Quynn Reno described the immediate actions staff have taken to use cell phone contact to quickly let in members of the public wishing to use the west door. She said that, in the long term, securing that entrance may include a camera, doorbell and buzzer system and noted that there is already a keyless entry system that gives access to tenants.
No Notification
Councilmembers Judith Davis and Colin Byrd and Mayor Emmett Jordan seemed particularly perturbed that they’d not had prior notice about the closure. Davis expressed concern about how the disabled and elderly would be affected while new American Disabilities Act (ADA) measures are being put in place. She noted that the proximity of the west entrance to both parking and an elevator serving multiple floors meant the door was a favorite of the Golden Age Club, the Concert Band and others likely to have physical limitations or be carrying awkward burdens like tubas. Quynn Reno addressed how the needs of disabled and elderly residents would be met in order to comply with the ADA and said that in the last few weeks only a handful of visitors had requested entry and all had been let in within a couple of minutes.
Out of Sight
Interim City Manager Tim George described ongoing planning for electronic surveillance and remote opening of the door and said that it was his decision to secure the door. In response to Roberts’s statement that people could come in any door and do damage, George noted that the west door was the only one that would not have line of sight to the main lobby once the reception was moved to be able to see the east door. He pointed out that they had significant prior trouble with people entering the west door and, for example, setting fire to a trashcan or using the area as a bathroom. Councilmembers were concerned, however, that the historic front entrance near the Library – planned as the primary access point – was the least accessible entrance and far from a parking lot.
Other Facilities
City Director of Recreation Greg Varda said that in recent meetings with staff, security and safety had emerged as a significant concern. He noted that although all the other city recreation facilities already had only single public points of access, his department was also planning to increase camera surveillance and improve lighting at them.
Davis asked if the Community Center had a direct line to the police and was told that the police phone number was posted on the phones.
Councilmember Kristen Weaver noted the discussion had become repetitious and succeeded in persuading council to move on.