Editorial: VBT needs to take closer look at employee security

On Friday, Oct. 11, a disgruntled driver with a ticket he didn’t like, tried to complain to Van Buren Township Police and when that didn’t work, he came into the township hall and started yelling and screaming.
Reportedly, some employees fled the building. Many called 911. The man was in the parking lot when police arrived. Everyone was safe, but it could have ended differently.
The man was a former VBT resident who had a troubled childhood and served in the Marines. He was talked to by police and he went back home to Carleton.
In the Oct. 14 work/study session, in a seemingly un-related matter, the VBT board discussed moving the Human Resources office to a more secluded area so those going to HR had more privacy. But then Trustee Frazier said she was concerned with the HR Director’s safety. Her new location was to be at the end of a hallway and HR would be alone with no secretary. Other board members agreed that safety should be a consideration.
Supervisor McNamara said he would talk with the police about it. It was noted in the active shooter simulation put on for employees at the township hall, the current HR location was found to be vulnerable because she had no place to go.
A police official told the Independent he’s been promoting more security for the township hall for some time. “The world’s different than it used to be,” he said.