By Tony Cantú
Contributing Writer

Alamo Heights and Olmos Park officials are reevaluating their security measures several weeks after a shooting at a Missouri city hall that left six people dead.

In Alamo Heights, the measures were immediate – the city posted a second police officer at the last council meeting as a further safeguard. Meanwhile, Olmos Park may tweak the design of its new municipal complex now in the planning stages to include bolstered security.

During the Feb. 11 regular council meeting, Alamo Heights City Manager Rebecca Waldman noted the presence of another officer near the entry to City Hall was a direct response to the Missouri shootings. Police Chief Rick Pruitt would continue to attend City Council meetings as usual, but now a second officer will stand guard near the entry as well, she said.

On Feb. 7, a gunman in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, Mo., gunned down two police officers and three city officials at a meeting attended by about 30 people, according to the Reuters news agency. Later shot dead by police, the gunman was identified as a contractor in a feud with local officials, Reuters reported.

In addition to the second officer, Waldman said all members of the public addressing council members during the portion of meetings allotted citizen comments would now be required to state their name and address into the microphone – a standard practice, but one sometimes not strictly enforced in the heat of discussion: “We really want to capture that in the minutes,” Waldman said.

Additionally, bolstered security at the city complex is being mulled. “We are also considering better controlling the access to the municipal building,” Waldman said. No plans to install metal detectors are planned because of their logistic impracticality, she said.

An intangible measure was also urged of residents – sitting in their seats and not moving around during council meetings: “For the security of everyone, remain seated and don’t approach the dais. We see this as a very measured step without over-reacting,” she said of the measures the city now is implementing.

No such steps were taken at Olmos Park, but the city may now be looking to bolster the security features on a new City Hall complex now being built across the street from its existing municipal building, said City Manager Amy Buckert in an e-mailed response to questions.

“We are fortunate in that our police department is contained within the same building as the council chambers,” Buckert wrote, referring to existing city quarters at 119 W. El Prado Drive. “And we have Chief (Louis) Alcoser at every meeting.”

Like his counterpart Pruitt at Alamo Heights, Olmos Park Police Chief Louis Alcoser is always in attendance at regular council meetings. Both chiefs offer updates to city council regarding police business when warranted, and remain for the rest of the meetings even after any presentations they make to council members.

Although “…no additional security plans have been made,” Buckert said, “Of course, these items will likely be addressed as we move into planning the new facilities across the street.”

Olmos Park bought property at 200 Primera last year – across the street from its El Prado complex – on which a new municipal complex will be built. The new complex exists only on paper, as a building committee continues to draft plans for the various elements of a new City Hall.

“What happened in Missouri was truly tragic,” Buckert wrote, noting the possibility of additional security measures to the new complex in the wake of the tragedy.