Cicero assures council meetings are safe

CICERO, IL The spokesperson for west suburban Cicero says adequate steps are taken there to prevent violence. Anyone who goes to a meeting of the town board must pass through a metal detector. Armed police officers are in the board room, which also has a security camera.

"Local units of government need to take security seriously, not just for elected officials, but also for the other residents that attend council meetings. The metal detector is really the key, obviously, so no one brings a weapon into the council chambers," said spokesman Dan Proft.

Proft says communities must strike a balance between trying to prevent violence and upholding the right of residents to attend board meetings.