Let me repeat that, in case you thought you read, “It’s time for open government.”
It’s time to open government. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, some legitimate security concerns had local government limiting access and hardening their facilities. Then the doors all but closed to the public completely when the pandemic hit, followed by the civil unrest of 2020 and Jan. 6, 2021.
To enter the county administration building, you undergo airport-level screening. At St. Cloud City Hall, your first point of contact is a city police officer. Surprisingly, while the City of Kissimmee is currently beleaguered by multiple abuse of force claims and allegations against its police department, at City Hall there you just encounter mostly locked doors off of the lobby, a phone on an “Information Desk,” and security screening prior to evening commission meetings.
I am in no way saying that any of these government bodies are intentionally being discourteous or dismissive towards their residents, with a few exceptions, but perception is reality. When a taxpaying resident or individual subject to the regulation of that government jurisdiction enters a facility to conduct business or seek information, it is clear to us that we are supplicants. We will be seen, or not seen, admitted, or not admitted, subject to the whim of the particular government employees we encounter or are eventually able to contact.
This is despite the fact that our tax dollars or economic activity directly contributes to the cost of these government buildings and the salaries of the people who work there. These insular conditions cannot help but affect the “customer service” attitudes of government managers and employees, either consciously or subconsciously. They have been in the bunker since before 2019. Unfortunately, the more citizens feel they do not have reasonable access to their government, the less they will try to access it.
There is, of course, a legitimate need for some level of security. Financial resources and access to sensitive records and information must be protected. However, when you look at the level of security in retail stores and even financial institutions, only certain sections are “off limits.” This is despite the always-present threat of robbery, or worse.
I have not been able to find any recent incidents of violence or physical threats to government employees in Central Florida, nor any widespread occurrences nationally. At the same time, just look at the open access to our libraries, which governments have determined must remain totally accessible despite real concerns with homeless people relying on these facilities for daily access to restrooms and the internet.
Government officials should take an opportunity to do a “bottom up” review of their current security protocols and infrastructure to ensure that the limitations on citizen access and expense are justified by current conditions. These officials must strive to ensure a reasonable level of “retail” access to the municipal services and the employees that are there to provide routine services to the taxpayers and business owners in their communities.
Terry Lloyd is a freelance journalist, military veteran and retired municipal employee who lives in St. Cloud.
