The planned upgrades were sparked by the embarrassing incident on September 19, 2014, when Iraqi war veteran Omar J. Gonzalez jumped the fence on the Pennsylvania Avenue side and entered the White House “through the North Portico doors.”
Gonzales was able to overpower a Secret Service agent before he ran freely through a major portion of the main floor before being tackled by a counter-assault agent. The September 2014 intrusion was only the fourth time since April 13, 1912 when Michael Winter forced his way into the White House to speak to President William Howard Taft. Winter was arrested.
The Secret Service is still reeling from a number of security breaches that have tarnished its image as the protector of the president and first family, all leading to the resignation of the agency’s director.
The Secret Service has released photos of the new “pencil point” spikes that in July will be bolted to the top of the fence pointing outward at a five-degree angle. Curiosity has raised its ugly head, and one has to wonder how much this “temporary” fix will cost the American taxpayers.
“The feature is meant to deter and inhibit individuals who may attempt to climb over the fence,” the Secret Service and National Park Service said in a statement, reported by Reuters.
The agencies are working on a new design for the White House security fence, and after review by other federal agencies this fall, should lead to a construction start in 2016. The agency is also working on “rearranging” officer booths at three vehicle checkpoints. They plan to replace the concrete barriers with steel-plate barriers that can be raised and lowered. These improvements should be completed by early July, this year.
The one important item missing from the list of security improvements is the replacement of upgrade in the Secret Service personnel guarding the president and first family. Perhaps if the agency had more dedicated and better-trained agents on hand, then we might not be needing “temporary” fixes to the White House security fence.
