Politics & Government

Arizona Shooting Won't Keep Local Legislators From Public Meetings

After a shooting rampage that critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others, local legislators sound off on security for public events.

On a snowy day during his first year as a member of the state House of Representatives, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, was in his office when a man who was upset about icy called and threatened to kill everyone in the legislative office unless the streets were cleared by a certain time

The man was not identified and did not carry out his threat, but Metcalfe, now is serving his sixth term in office, said he was shocked by the attempt at intimidation. His next thought was for the safety of himself and his staff.

“It was an eye-opener,” he said.

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Following the shooting rampage Saturday in Arizona in which a gunman critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed a federal judge, a 9-year-old girl and four others, security once again is at the forefront of his mind.

“Every incident that occurs like that, you have to look and re-evaluate the risk for your own staff and your volunteers and yourself,” he said.

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Metcalfe, who meets with constituents at town hall-style meetings, said he would not let the shooting deter him from interacting with the public. Nor does he plan to add any sort of armed security at events, which he said could be intimidating to those who attend.

“The nature of what we do in service is to be accessible and in public view,” he said. “If officials let this deter them to from serving in a very open forum, then they really need to re-evaluate whether they should be in public office.”

State Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, also said she had no plans to change the way she meets with voters.

“I will continue to be a hands-on senator, as I have always been, and interact with my constituents, whether it is at my office or around my district at local events, parades and forums,” she said in a statement to Patch.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, has been a friend of Giffords, a fellow Democrat, since both were elected to the house in 2006. His initial thought when he learned of the shooting was concern for her and the other victims of the shooting.

“It looks like she will survive, but she has a difficult road ahead,” he said.

Through the years, Altmire has seen his share of disruptions at public events, which he said has made it increasingly hard for the people to interact with their elected representative. A series of town meetings he held in 2009 and last year on health care reform were especially heated.

He added that people are less likely to attend outings with their lawmakers if they feel their safety is threatened.

“Now that you’ve had this happen, I just don’t know if it’s the best way to communicate to constituents any more,” he said.

As for a better method, Altmire is trying to figure that one out. He said he hopes to strike a balance between ensuring people’s safety while still being able to effectively communicate with them in a way everyone is comfortable with.

“We have to be accessible,” he said. “That’s our job.”  


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