Jersey City measure would require police presence at every City Council meeting

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
December 17, 2012 at 4:39 PM

A Jersey City police officer would be stationed at every City Council meeting to keep order, under a proposal under consideration this week by the council.

Councilwoman at large Viola Richardson, who is sponsoring the measure, said the Nov. 28 council meeting reminded her that she?s been meaning to ask for regular police presence in the council chambers for a long time.

The meeting, which didn?t adjourn until about 4 a.m., featured some contentious moments, including a short shouting match between two residents.

In Kirkwood, Mo., a gunman opened fire at a council meeting on Feb. 7, 2008, killing five, including two council members, before police shot him dead. Richardson, a former cop, said she wouldn?t want anything like that to happen in Jersey City.

?Just because we have not had an incident doesn?t mean that one can?t happen,? she said.

The measure is not a reaction to Friday's school massacre in Newtown, Conn.

The proposal up for discussion at Wednesday?s council meeting would require a police officer stationed until 30 minutes after the meeting is adjourned. The meetings generally occur every other Wednesday, starting at 6 p.m.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... y_measure_would_requ.html