Extra Security Present At Garland City Council Meeting
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GARLAND (CBSDFW.COM) - Garland didn't take any chances, adding some heavy artillery to its city council meeting Tuesday.
It was the first gathering since Sunday's deadly attack.
While the meeting usually has a police officer present, Tuesday an additional officer stood in the corner with a high powered rifle, with several police cars parked in front of city hall.
"We're being a little more cautious right now," said Mayor Douglas Athas.
The mayor gave a brief statement at the start of the meeting praising police action, but distancing the city from the controversial Draw Muhammed event.
"I think at the end of the day I want people to understand someone came here and had a program that wasn't part of Garland, wasn't invited by Garland. We're not the same community as she represents. On the other side of it, we did what we were supposed to do. We protected her freedoms and we protected probably her life," said Mayor Athas.
Garland resident Mary Ehlenfeldt addressed council, and said she too is happy with the city and its police force. She only hopes her neighbors don't let the shooting scare them.
"We need to say," You know what? They didn't win - because I'm gonna get up this morning and I'm going to go to work. And, I'm not afraid that some bad guy is gonna blow me up," she said.
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