Days after protesters raised a ruckus at a recent Vallejo City Council meeting, the city’s interim city manager has announced increased security at future meetings.

In a news release, Interim City Manager Mike Malone outlined the new steps City Hall will be taking to “provide increased safety and peace of mind to attendees and to safeguard access to local government by all.”

The measures include a single-entry point into the building, a security checkpoint with a metal detector wand and an inspection of all bags. Staff will be looking for firearms, flammable or explosive materials, club-like items and other weapons or chemicals, according to the news release.

The city has also hired additional security personnel.

Though Malone didn’t give a reason for the change, the March 8 City Council meeting was disrupted by protesters who were there to oppose the possible loan for a new police building. During the meeting, family members of people killed by Vallejo police officers confronted Police Chief Shawny Williams.

“Like many other cities across the country, Vallejo has been looking closely at our security policies and procedures for some time now,” Malone said in the release. “Our staff and community members’ health and safety (physical and psychological) are our number one priority.”

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.