City Hall security

Several city councilors reportedly were upset over a security breach in the building last week when a masked intruder was able to roam through the building apparently unnoticed. It was discovered that this masked culprit was able to enter office spaces freely and allegedly snatch employees personal stuff, money, and credit cards (“City Hall can’t afford to miss another security lesson,” Boston Herald, Dec. 5).

The whole building is guarded by unarmed special police officers, always posted at the three entrances to this building. However, as a retired police sergeant for Metro Boston Area Department of Mental Health police for 28 years, multiple and random patrols should always be part of security protocols. I am not throwing anyone under the bus but officers should always be mobile, looking everywhere for anything suspicious or out of place. Otherwise, culprits know where security is and where they are not.

Also, employees need to be aware of their surroundings and if they keep valuables in their work area, they should be secured at all times, especially when leaving your office and leaving office  doors unlocked. Don’t make it easy to become a victim of theft. If you see someone acting weird don’t just walk by them, notify the officers down at the building entrances. As the Herald editorial pointed out, City Hall can’t afford to miss another security lesson.

Sal Giarratani

East Boston

Heat pumps

New Englanders are right to question government programs when electricity bills are high (“Towhey: A lot of heat pump so much hot air in NE,” Dec. 5). The skepticism about electric heat pumps is understandable, but the argument that they don’t work here is based on older technology.

Modern, cold-climate heat pumps are designed to handle temperatures well below freezing, unlike the old electric baseboard heaters. These new systems are highly efficient, delivering up to four times the heat per unit of power consumed compared to a standard furnace.

A key financial comparison is between heat pumps and the fuel many New England homes use: expensive, volatile oil and propane. If you heat your home with trucked-in fuel, switching to a high-efficiency heat pump can save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars a year. The new Heat Pump Accelerator program and existing rebates lower the upfront cost, making it affordable for working families.

We shouldn’t stay hooked on expensive, imported fossil fuels. Heat pumps offer a way to gain energy independence and protect our wallets from the constant price shocks of the oil and gas market. They’re a smart, practical upgrade for our homes.

Frederick Hewett

Cambridge