McKeever Devises Strategy to Keep Firearms Out of City Hall

Falls Church City Manager Dan McKeever unveiled to the City Council at its work session Tuesday a creative new strategy to maintain security at City Hall, the Community Center and library despite a troubling new state law permitting the carrying of small handguns into such public locations.

McKeever resorted to the application of a federal law to trump the new state law. He applied the federal law allowing no firearms within 1,000 feet of a school to the area around City Hall by applying it to the City school system's alternative education school located at the Gage House in Cherry Hill Park.

The 1,000-foot perimeter of the Gage House covers the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, the Cherry Hill Farmhouse, City Hall and the Police Station, and the Community Center, he noted.

Therefore, zero tolerance for the carrying of weapons of all kinds will be applied to all those public places, McKeever noted.

A similar zero tolerance policy will apply to all employees of the City, with the exception of police and law enforcement officers, he said. Violation will involve immediate termination of employment.

The new policy also stresses that in all events where firearms are detected on an unauthorized person in a public place, police should be notified to ascertain the intent of the possession and if it is legal.

A section of the new general policy includes the following:

"If the member of the public carries a weapon in plain view or concealed in into a City-operated facility, City-sponsored event, City-sponsored meeting or onto City-owned property, (City) employees or volunteers should:

"1. Notify the City police immediately in all circumstances, and,

"2. Notify the person in charge of the facility, meeting or event.

"3. Facility or event manager must complete an incident report form.

"The police will respond and investigate the circumstances under which the individual is carrying a weapon. The police will immediately consult with the City Manager. The manager at his discretion will determine what further action must be taken, including closing a facility.

"At no time should a non-law enforcement employee ever confront someone with a weapon."

McKeever said that maps designating the area covered within 1,000-foot radiuses of other City schools will also be published. He noted that the zero tolerance policy applies only to public property in those areas, and not to private homes.