Buffalo City Hall is getting a new look. Crews with the Department of Public Works are in the process of installing 160 bollards around the building's perimeter to enhance security.
At 3,100 pounds each, Mayor Byron Brown says the sphere-shaped obstacles are designed to stop potential threats.
"As we have seen, unfortunately, in other parts of the world, vehicles have been used as weapons to injure people. One of the recommendations of our Security Committee, working with the Department of Homeland Security, was to install bollards to ensure the safety of visitors and employees at Buffalo City Hall," Brown said Thursday.
Armed security guards and metal detectors were also recently stationed inside the entrances. But the mayor said there have been no specific threats.
"This was something that was set in motion over a period of time with a committee of local, state and federal entities looking at city government. And the safety and security needs of city government," Brown said.
A Department of Homeland Security grant is covering the $129,489 cost of the latest safety enhancement. All of the bollards should be installed within a few months.