Sasha D’Amico is a police captain for the city of Novato. She can be reached at sdamico@novato.org

Flames climb the walls of city hall as smoke permeates the council chamber. A police officer shouts to evacuate the building while radioing for firefighters. Council members and city staff appear frozen in place as confusion reigns. A disgruntled employee shouts, “I’m going to burn this place down.” The fire alarm screams for evacuation and people panic.

Firebombing a public meeting might seem like Hollywood make-believe. But more and more California elected officials — particularly women — are facing threats and harassment. A survey by the Mayors Innovation Project in 2021 found that 94% of mayors faced fear-causing psychological violence at least once during 2021. Nearly a quarter said they received verbal threats at least once during the year, and 15% reported physical violence within the year.

The increase of targeted harassment and violence towards elected officials is a threat to our democracy and local government services. Here are several steps cities can take to safeguard elected officials and staff before misfortune strikes.

Assess your city’s vulnerabilities

Cultivating a safety-focused culture within your organization is essential to workplace security. Academy and field training programs drill this into police officers’ minds. City staff and elected officials must be similarly prepared.

These assessments and training are no longer “nice-to-haves.” In 2021, a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employee killed nine co-workers before taking his own life. The Legislature passed SB 553 (Cortese, 2023) to help stop similar, future tragedies. Since July of this year, employers must maintain a workplace violence prevention plan and provide additional training when a new workplace violence hazard is identified or when the plan changes.

Although every city has unique and varied safety concerns, there are some common practices your city can adopt. San Diego County modeled how to survey staff and elected officials about potential hazards. Follow their lead and ask about public meeting locations and work sites. Be curious about safety concerns. Ask staff questions like:

• What potential hazards have you identified?
• What type of safety training do you need?
• What safety improvement would you make?

City leaders may also want to provide de-escalation training to employees who might interact with community members who are visibly angry. Try incorporating roleplaying to help them work through scenarios and practice these skills. You may want to create a script for ending interactions with offensive or threatening callers.

Supervisors should also consider standardizing procedures for obtaining help when interacting with an aggressive person and teaching everyone how to “run, hide, and fight” in response to an active attacker. City officials should learn how to watch for stressors that might trigger violence, report concerning behavior, and work with law enforcement to develop violence prevention plans.

Cities do not have to create these plans from scratch. Cal/OSHA created a model workplace violence prevention plan. The U.S. Department of Labor also has information on prevention programs and guidance for evaluating and controlling violence in various workplaces.

Team up for staff safety

While the world of security enhancements is vast, all cities can implement three practical solutions to enhance local government safety. This includes adopting Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), creating a threat assessment team, and fostering a culture of safety in which employees “see something and say something.”

CPTED, or safety-focused facility improvements, take many forms, such as increasing visibility through landscaping and lighting, limiting access to potential targets through identifiable points of entry, and drawing a clear distinction between public and private spaces. City officials may want to take additional steps, such as adding metal detectors, panic buttons, or ballistic glass.

The people responsible for building design, maintenance, and public safety should be included in the planning process for improving these spaces. Likewise, cybersecurity experts should provide assessments for virtual meetings and vulnerable IT infrastructure to proactively prevent meeting and service disruptions.

The most essential element of an effective workplace violence prevention plan is a threat assessment team. These multi-disciplinary groups may include city administrators, the city attorney, human resources, and information technology staff, as well as law enforcement, to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach.

A threat assessment team’s primary goal is to provide people with strategies and support before the danger rises to a level requiring law enforcement. City officials should direct reports of troubling behaviors to threat assessment teams, who then develop plans to set boundaries, provide care, and move a person from concerning behavior to stability.

There are several free resources available online to help create a threat assessment team. The Center for Personal Protection and Safety created a free guide and informational videos. The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center developed a first responder toolbox with helpful information, as did RAND and the U.S. Secret Service.

It is important for employees to err on the side of over-reporting and for employers to positively reinforce reporting. Once a supervisor receives a notification, have the threat assessment team vet the reported information. Assign an investigator while the team considers how to mitigate potential hazards.

Action items for ongoing safety concerns

The best way to stay safe is to prevent incidents before they happen. Yet even the best security teams and plans have their flaws, as seen twice in this year’s presidential election. For internal issues, it may be appropriate to place an employee on administrative leave while a fitness-for-duty examination can occur. An employer can order a fitness-for-duty examination for job-related injuries, safety concerns, and performance issues consistent with business needs.

An employer or (as of Jan. 1, 2025) collective bargaining representative can file a request for a workplace violence temporary restraining order on behalf of an employee who has suffered violence or a credible threat of violence (California Code of Civil Procedure Section 527.8). For a judge to grant the order, there must be clear and convincing evidence of harassment, reasonable proof of violence, or a credible threat. This option may take several days or longer to work through the court process. For increased effectiveness, partner the order with other interventions.

City employees should also report threats or perceived threats to law enforcement — internal or external. While the threat assessment team works on internal mitigating measures, law enforcement can contact the involved person and complete records checks, including criminal history and firearms registration. Law enforcement officers might also make an arrest and obtain court orders depending on the severity of the situation.  

In an effort to increase security options, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2041 (Bonta, 2024) this year. This new law allows politicians to use a greater percentage of campaign funds for security measures for themselves, their staff, and immediate families. This could include an electronic security system or a personal bodyguard. Prior state law capped the amount at $5,000.

Change your city’s story

Let’s go back to that first, hypothetical incident. Instead of fires crackling around city hall, imagine a supervisor receiving a report about an employee who became hostile toward others. When she checked on the employee, the employee angrily uttered, “I am going to burn this place down.” The supervisor continued to talk with the employee while summoning help from human resources and the threat assessment team for a brewing situation.

At the same time, the threat assessment team met virtually to examine the employee’s history and recent circumstances. A police representative assisted with records checks relevant to the investigation. Supervisors implemented the appropriate interventions, including administrative leave and fitness for duty. The city shared information with the police, who changed their patrol operations. That evening, city council members moved smoothly through the agenda without flames or fear.