Vice Mayor Antonio Arserio brought up the question of enhanced safety during meetings at the September 17 meeting.
He suggested that it might be a good idea to have an officer at the door of the commission chambers and possibly use a wand to determine whether a person is carrying a weapon.
Changes in gun laws and recent political violence have caused concern among commissioners. Arserio said he does not want the security to be at the level of airports, where people must remove their shoes and all items from their pockets, but he would like it to be at the level of football games, where if someone is found to have a weapon, they would be asked to leave.
City manager Cale Curtis said he would meet with the city attorney and police leadership to determine the best approach to enhanced security at meetings. Currently, a Margate police officer is on duty during commission meetings.
Mayor Arlene Schwartz said she is disappointed at the increased level of violence involving political disputes and hoped that people could respect those with different points of view.
Commissioner Tommy Ruzzano described a situation where he was harassed because he was on the commission, but said he did not want a strong security presence at meetings.
Got News in Margate? Send it to Margate Talk. Don’t Miss Reading NW Broward County’s #1 News Sites: Coconut Creek Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Parkland Talk, Tamarac Talk, and Sunrise FL Talk.
Author Profile
Latest entries
NewsJanuary 24, 2026Margate Honors Holiday Decorating Contest Winners
NewsJanuary 23, 2026Margate to Participate in an Interlocal Agreement for Biowaste FacilityNewsJanuary 22, 2026Margate Commission Approves Rules of Conduct for Public Meetings
NewsJanuary 15, 2026Margate CRA Approves $200K Demolition Contract
