Cleveland City Hall staffers must enter through metal detectors

Multiple Cleveland City Council members were miffed this week after City Hall began requiring them to enter through metal detectors at the main entrance and the doors from the Willard Park Garage.

What's happening: Two recent incidents, including one in which an employee was accused of threatening to "shoot up" a room in City Hall, precipitated the administration's decision to enhance security measures.

• City Hall staffers previously flashed their employee badges and did not have to empty their pockets and hand over their bags to pass through security, as visitors are required to do.

What they're saying: "As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and security of our employees and facilities, we are implementing enhanced security measures at Cleveland City Hall to align with other public government facilities," a City Hall spokesperson told Axios.

Yes, but: Council president Blaine Griffin told Axios there was some uncertainty about the rationale for the new measures, and a few council members were "disturbed" by the new policy.

The intrigue: A major bone of contention was that council members feared they'd be forced to wait in security lines while the mayor and his top aides could bypass them.

Meanwhile: Councilman Richard Starr told Axios he was initially bothered by the new measures, because he's frequently arriving to committee hearings from other meetings offsite on very tight timelines.

• "My number one thing is making sure everyone is following the same policies, with no special privileges for those who may have security details."