For several years at City Hall all visitors have had to sign in and out and show a photo ID. (Although, sometimes if the security guard has seen you before, he’ll skip on the ID.) However, the metal detectors at the general entrances are new. As a reporter, I’ve been in government buildings that required me to sign-in and I’ve been in buildings that had metal detectors. But City Hall is the only place I’ve been that has both.

Anyway, this neighborhood president went to City Hall to drop off his monthly newsletter at the Community Development office. He is in City Hall at least once a week, sometimes more. This time, though, he left his photo ID in his car, and the security officer had a big problem with that.

The neighborhood president asked the guard to call someone in community development, but instead, security had someone escort him to the 10th floor, staying by his side until he left the building.

“I felt like they treated me like a common criminal,” he said.