City Hall Commissionaires, City Cops, and Community TV

By Kelly Allard

Background

At the April 22 2024 City Council Meeting, the media table had the chairs removed; signs were in place saying “No Seating”. The media table has power outlets as well as audio /video hookups. 

The first picture is from the April 22 Council meeting, the rest are from May 14.

I was out of town at the time. I was also absent from the May 6 meeting due to illness or I’d have made my objection known sooner.

Media was also told they were no longer permitted to go down on the floor to get interviews with council members and /or staff. Interviews were usually held in front of the backdrop with the City logo. The floor is now only for staff and council (I imagine this includes committee and commission members). 

All media interviews must now be held in the “Legislative Hallway”. Media must now wait for interviewees to choose to ascend the council chamber stairs where they might mix with the commoners.

Security Guards at City Hall

Security is provided by the Commissionaires. According to a job posting for Medicine Hat, all employees must have a valid security license which means they fall under the Security Services and Investigators Act. 

Monday May 6 2024 City Council Meeting

Despite being told by City Clerk Larry Randle that it was his understanding that the media table would be restored, Tom arrived that evening to find that it was still blocked off. (Randle was absent from the May 6 meeting, he won’t be back until Tuesday May 21).

The legacy media was situated up in the nosebleed seats with no extra seats for Community TV /The Trash Panda. Tom proceeded to the blocked off media table where he leaned over the table to get the shot instead of standing the whole time. 

Tom was approached 4 times by security guards, one of them actually put his hands on him. This same security guard then called the police on Tom. Police told the guard that they are not allowed to put hands on anybody at any time. No police officers spoke with Tom about this incident as a result of the phone call made by the Commissionaire.

During the recess, Tom recorded security guards hiding their identification when he asked them for it in violation of Section 31(3) of the Security Services and Investigators Act.

One of the security guards then commented on our video posted on social media saying things like 

“Well Foulkes (sic) this is all lies. You have to believe what you wanna believe we were just doing our job.”  and

“Well Foulkes (sic) for your information the only way I have to show my ID is if you want to press charges all you need to know other than that is my name we are contracted company therefore we do not have to show our ID unless you want to charge us.”

When I posted the relevant part of the Security Services and Investigators Act specifically 31(3), she replied

“Kelly Allard you have no idea what you’re talking about so you should stay out of it.” (Insert screenshots)

When one of the legacy media went out for a smoke, Tom took his chair and put it at the media table. Security then went and got a chair for the legacy media.

Community TV / The Trash Panda has reached out to City Hall and the Commissionaires about this interaction but have yet to receive any comment at press time.

May 14 2024

Tom and I decided to have a work meeting in the public area of City Hall at 10:30am, specifically the tables by the 3rd floor public balcony. We do not have an office so we enjoy holding meetings at different locations in the community. This is an area we have used before, Tom interviewed a resident on that very balcony in April. This area happens to be outside of a staff lunch room which has a door they can close. It has a lovely view of the river, blooming trees; we find it to be a mental health benefit. I had been there numerous times the previous year, sitting on the balcony enjoying the view - sometimes alone, sometimes with others.

Nobody has ever asked us to move from the 3rd floor. Last year I went on the 2nd floor balcony.  Security came out to tell me that it was an “executive balcony” and the public was not allowed out there. I came inside and Mayor Clark happened to be passing by; she asked what was going on. I told her and she told security that it was a public building, that I was allowed to be out there.

We’d been there about an hour or so when security came and told us that very soon they would be having a bunch of people coming by to have lunch and they needed the tables. We said, sure, if they need the tables we can move outdoors; security said that was fine.

We continued with our meeting for a while when Tom said “the police are coming”. I was incredulous; I thought it was hilarious.

The Downtown Patrol Unit came with two Managing Directors (MgD) - to wit 

Dennis Egert (Corporate Services) and 

Pat Bohan (Development and Infrastructure).

We were told we had to move to the bottom floor, specifically the Helen Beny Gibson Lounge. We offered to go out on the balcony but they said we could not do that. I told them security told us that was fine and I told them what Mayor Clark had said last year. They would not budge.

Tom asked to speak to the MgD’s supervisor, we were told they were not available.

Tom asked to speak with the officer’s supervisor, again he was refused.

Tom and I were escorted off the 3rd floor by police at 12:21pm.

Tom recorded the entire interaction. Bohan refused to give his name when Tom inquired but I recognized him from various committee meetings; Egert actually covered up his lanyard name tag.

There were no signs to indicate that it was NOT a public area and as stated before, nobody had asked us to move before. The picture below was take at 12:30pm. This is where we were sitting and nobody was up there.

May 15 Conversations With Senior Staff

at the Municipal Mingle at Tin Can Alley

I spoke with City Manager Ann Mitchell as well as Bohan and Egert at the Municipal Mingle.

I asked Mitchell about the media table; she referred me to the Facilities Manager.

Egert said they were concerned about security, citing the Edmonton City Hall shooting. He said the security desk at the top of the stairs was to make sure people did not wander until they figured out which would be public areas and which would be private. It was all about making the staff feel more secure.

I understand staff being fearful especially those who are in public facing jobs. There’s a lot of unkind people out there angry about something and they take it out on the most visible person.

Bohan said much the same thing; he also referred me to the facilities manager.

Egert said “That whole area where you’re sitting is intended for staff to eat lunch” and that “They get a little bit intimidated when you guys are sitting there”. He thought Tom and I were being resistant the day before. I said, “Yeah we were, we were trying to make a point.”

May 16 Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB)

This was held at noon on a weekday . There is no way to view it online; people must attend in person. This is a public event in a public place (council chambers). I took a chair from the top, moved the barrier, sat at the media table and plugged in my equipment. Note that the signs now say

NO SEATING
RESTRICTED ACCESS

I should note that despite being previously told by the City that only staff and council (and I assume committee and commission) members were allowed on the floor, the appellants were seated at the horseshoe. The media table was unused.

There were about 50 people in the seats. A member of the public came and asked me if I would be recording it, I said yes. He said, “good, then I won’t have to worry about doing it”.

Not long after, security came and asked me to move. I told them I understand what you said, I am refusing to move and explained why. I said you can tell them to call the police. It was a very cordial interaction.

Not long after MgD Pat Bohan came and asked me to move. I told him the same thing. I said I have old eyes, I have as much right to be down in the front seats as the public has and I need a plug-in. He promised he would bring me an extension cord; it never came. He returned to his seat beside City Manager (CM) Ann Mitchell. I moved to the public seating, using the chair as a table for my laptop which was plugged in as was my cell phone. My phone was on a tripod on the table, live streaming the meeting.

The SDAB chair told the room that there was no audio or video recording permitted, that they were doing an official recording.

I am on the Court Accredited Reporter List in Alberta which means that unlike the public I am actually permitted to record audio inside a courtroom.

MgD Pat Bohan returned and asked me to stop recording. I said it was a public meeting in a public place. At one point I saw CM Mitchell leave the room, speaking on her cell phone. 

The SDAB chair wanted me to stop recording, and called a recess while the “issue was being addressed”. I said I would turn off my camera if he would make their recording available to the public; he just looked down at his papers and said nothing. 

Shortly after that the Downtown Patrol Unit arrived and ordered me to leave.

Two police officers and one auxiliary officer escorted me from the building; I was told that I was not permitted to return for the rest of the day.

Let me be very clear here. I am not being critical of City Hall security or the police officers. The security we ran into during the daytime was very good. They had their instructions as did the police. I am critical of seemingly ridiculous policies created recently by the Powers That Be at the Glass Palace.

Why Am I Being Resistant?

It is the duty of the press to demand transparency.

It is the duty of the press to hold organizations and governments accountable.

It is the duty of the press to resist when freedom of the press is being obstructed. 

I find it fascinating that when people are trying to convince me to follow their rules, they say “You’re smart” and then seem quite puzzled when I do not comply.

They might just be trying to flatter me, but they’re right- I am smart. I’m smart enough to realize when my rights are being violated as a person and as a member of the free press so no,

I will not comply

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