City of Worcester, MA

WORCESTER, Mass. – City Manager Eric D. Batista announced Tuesday new security measures for City Hall that will go into effect in the next few weeks including the stationing of security guards on the first floor and the installation of security scanners. 

Starting May 27, Security Compliance Officers will be staffed at City Hall during all hours the facility is open. Security Compliance Officers, branded as Worcester Municipal Security (WMS), will help open and close the building, screen visitors, patrol the facility, and respond to incidents inside the building. 

“These important security measures are the result of several months of evaluating City Hall and its vulnerabilities, a security audit, and direct feedback from staff and the public who are often in the building for meetings and other business,” said Batista. “These are practical measures that establish a basic level of security and safety while keeping the building open and welcoming to the public. It is critical that we take the safety of the public and staff inside City Hall seriously and these measures will ensure we are proactive in preventing any major issues.” 

In addition to patrolling the facility and responding to any incidents that may occur, WMS will be using new screening technology in the first-floor vestibule to screen all visitors entering City Hall to identify and restrict weapons and contraband from entering the facility. After visitors pass through the screening device, they will be asked to sign in before making their way to the respective department they are conducting business with. Each visitor will be asked to provide their name and purpose of visit when entering, then provided a visitor’s sticker badge. The visitor sticker badge will help security identify individuals conducting business within City Hall and allow staff to account for everyone present in the facility should an emergency occur that requires a lockdown, shelter-in-place, or evacuation.  

To enhance security and improve access to City Hall, during the month of June, the municipality will be designating new public parking spaces in front of the building on Main Street. These public parking spaces will be available as free 30-minute parking spots to conduct business in the building. As part of this change, access to the City Hall parking garage will be restricted to authorized vehicles only. Additionally, access through the Worcester Common entrance will be restricted to the public restrooms, and all visitors will enter City Hall from the Main Street entrance. These new measures are being implemented to improve security in the building and ensure there is an account for all employees and visitors inside of the building. Further details and signage will be posted as the future implementations are rolled out.

“I acknowledge these updates will be a change and take some time to get used to,” said Batista. “They are in best interest of everyone’s safety and will be implemented in a courteous and professional manner.”