A decade ago, Mayor Jan Liggett says she didn't think much of it when an apparent stalker attempted to make repeated contact with her during her first year on council. The threat was minor, the issue was quickly resolved and the first-time councillor moved on.
But had the same thing happened today, the mayor said her reaction might have been different.
In the age of social media, when "people have it in their heads that it's okay" to direct their anger at politicians, sometimes to the point of threatening violence, you never know how far someone might take it, she said.
That's why when council meets Tuesday to consider hiking council salaries to match their escalating responsibilities and inflation, they’ll also discuss the cost of adding personal home security systems to the package to protect themselves and their families.
In its report on council remuneration, the citizen committee tasked with recommending any changes, said it “regretfully” acknowledges how today’s political climate often calls for extra security, and recommends each councillor get an allowance of up to $1,000 per term for the purchase and installation of home security equipment and up to $50 per month for any related monitoring services.
“Members of council should be provided with peace of mind provided by home security, which may also act as a deterrent to those looking to cause harm,” reads the report.
Liggett said the city’s IT department is reviewing different technologies to provide a list of options for council to consider at a later date.
But she feels the need to have access to 24-7 security is becoming more apparent every day.
Last month police charged a 33-year-old Kitchener man with uttering threats and criminal harassment related to emails sent to Regional Chair Karen Redman and her family.
Gersame Fikre Ambaw is set to make a court appearance this week after he was arrested March 12.
The charge came a month after police launched a similar investigation into online death threats made against Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis.
A 44-year-old Woolwich man was charged in that investigation.
Although Liggett said she’s never faced that level of threat, she sees the need to be proactive with security measures to ensure everyone on council feels comfortable doing their jobs.
Ignoring social media is one way the mayor stays focused on her work.
"I can't make a smart decision if I'm paying attention to that," she said, adding 99.9 per cent of what she's seen online about her is untrue.
Angry phone calls and emails are another point of concern for councillors.
Over the last year, Liggett, another councillor and some members of staff were getting phone calls from a person who police identified as someone suffering from mental illness.
As those calls became "increasingly concerning," steps were taken to ensure the individual got the help he needed, she said.
The mayor, who has advocated for better mental health and addictions services province-wide, believes more should be done to protect the public.
“With a lack of mental health facilities and staffing for them, mental illness has been growing unbridled,” she told CambridgeToday in an emailed response. “Add to this a general feeling of being crushed, some that would never normally make threatening statements now find themselves unable to keep their feelings in check. All of this adds up to a need to be proactive within and outside city hall with security of our persons.”
Last year former Cambridge mayor Kathryn McGarry said she faced harassment and bullying online and took safety precautions because of it.
After more than three decades as a municipal politician, regional councillor Doug Craig said the change in how public servants are treated is “dramatic,” and agrees much of it has to do with social media.
“It’s a lot more hostile world, online especially,” the former mayor said, adding it can be particularly bad if you’re the focal point as mayor or regional chair.
Craig recalled one traumatic incident about 20 years ago, when his wife was threatened, but, apart from a few “bad emails” and a guy who planted signs on his front lawn telling him what a bad job he was doing, that was it.
As for taxpayers footing the bill for the added security, Craig said he would support it "given the atmosphere that we're in these days."
Taxpayers have already paid for enhanced security desk at City Hall. It was part of a $100,000 plan approved last summer to lengthen the Service Cambridge counter and transition some services to the main floor.
The move to a central desk gave security staff a better line of sight to all customer service counters, as well as all entrances.
Staff can now monitor all public access on the main floor and "respond in a more timely manner as necessary," read the council report recommending the upgrade.
