Leetsdale Council Considers Municipal Security After Deadly Monroe County Shooting

Some local municipal leaders are rethinking security after a gunman opened fire Monday night during a board supervisors' meeting in Monroe County killing three people and injuring others.

Leetsdale Council members Tuesday night discussed installing a buzzer system to secure the entryway into the municipal building.

Visitors currently pass through two unlocked doors to reach the lobby and borough office. Council President Joseph McGurk said he would like a system similar to what schools have.

Though there have not been any major security issues, McGurk said the idea has come up previously and could deter someone who's angry.

"I do think there's some merit to that. Once they get through that second door, there's no deterring them from doing anything they want," McGurk said.

Leetsdale police regularly attend the council meetings, as do police officers in other municipalities.

Moon Manager Jeanne Creese told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that residents upset over property issues come into the township municipal building every day.

“These issues are very emotional to people,” Creese told the Trib, recalling a "very alarming" incident at a meeting last year when a resident who signed up to speak addressed the board at the end of the meeting by putting on a pair of dark sunglasses and blue rubber gloves. Moon Police Chief Leo McCarthy stood behind the man until he finished speaking, she said.

Over in Robinson, Township Manager Jeff Silka told the newspaper that officials haven't discussed extra safety, but he isn't sure what all could be done.

“It's very difficult on meeting nights to secure a building,” Silka said. “You want to have open access as much as possible.”

David Sanko, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, said in a statement to the York Daily Record that danger, while rare, is sometimes the price of public service.

"Local officials have long been called the foot soldiers of democracy. They are on the front lines, protecting their communities and the health and safety of their residents. Sometimes, the front line is a dangerous place," Sanko said.

Leetsdale Councilwoman Melanie Dunn pointed out that having a buzzer system wouldn't have prevented a situation like what happened in Monroe County.

"The way I look at it is if somebody really wanted to (harm you) ...they're going to meet up with you somewhere else."

According to reports, alleged gunman 59-year-old Rockne Newell used a pistol with a scope and shot through a wall during the Ross Township meeting. About 15 to 18 residents and town officials were in attendance.

Newell, who had been involved in a dispute with the township over a dilapidated property, was tackled to the ground by two people.

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