EDITORIAL

Newport Beach Councilman John Heffernan has asked his colleagues to

consider having a police presence at council meetings. Most cities --

Costa Mesa, Irvine and Huntington Beach included -- already have an

officer or deputy on hand at council meetings to ensure speakers -- and

sometimes officials -- behave themselves.

Most often, these officers simply stand in the background with no

duties other than to make the proceedings look more official.

Occasionally, a speaker addressing the council will become rude or

threatening and need to be removed. But even those incidents are rare.

Nevertheless, having an officer attend meetings is a good idea.

Some city officials have become victims of violent attacks. Most

notably, a dismissed Riverside recreation worker shot and wounded six

people, including the mayor and two council members, during an October

1998 meeting.

As the most visible faces of a city, elected officials naturally

become targets for people who hold grudges or believe they have scores to

settle.

Likewise, a police officer is the most visible representation of law

and order. Just having a presence at a council meeting is often enough to

deter visitors from getting out of hand. And should anyone become too

belligerent, the officer could step right in to take control of the

situation.

The officer also could keep an eye on city staffers as they walk to

their vehicles after meetings, especially ones with contentious issues on

the agendas.

The question city officials should ask is not whether they can afford

to post an officer at meetings, but whether they can afford not to.