Philly City Hall adds metal detectors for visitors in the new year

Up until now, people attending Philadelphia City Council's weekly meeting or reporting for civil jury duty had to pass through metal detectors. Now it will be everyone.

Metal detectors to welcome visitors to Philadelphia City Hall for 2019. (Tom MacDonald/ WHYY)

Metal detectors to welcome visitors to Philadelphia City Hall for 2019. (Tom MacDonald/ WHYY)

Philadelphia City Hall is adding another security measure for the new year.

While you have to show ID and check in when entering City Hall, most visitors haven’t had to go through a metal detector.

Previously metal detectors were used for people attending City Council’s weekly meeting or reporting for civil jury duty.

For 2019, there are two metal detectors and an X-ray machine in place at the Northeast Corner entrance to City Hall where previously there was just a turnstile type gate.

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Now visitors will be screened before they enter the building and any bags will be searched.

A spokesperson for the Mayor’s office issued a statement. “It’s long been a priority to enhance the security in City Hall, Municipal Services Building (MSB) and One Parkway Building (OPB). This fiscal year we have the funding to begin the upgrades in phases, which started in the west portal of City Hall and will gradually expand through the building as well as MSB and OPB.”

There are numerous other employee entrances to the government building that are access-card activated that do not have the screening — at least for now.

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