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Secret Service Plans New Fence, Full Scale White House Replica, But No Moat
HughPickens.com writes The NYT reports that the Secret Service is recruiting some of its best athletes to serve as pretend fence jumpers at a rural training ground outside Washington in a program to develop a new fence around the White House that will keep intruders out without looking like a prison. Secret Service officials acknowledge that they cannot make the fence foolproof; that would require an aesthetically unacceptable and politically incorrect barrier. Prison or Soviet-style design is out, and so is anything that could hurt visitors, like sharp edges or protuberances. Instead, the goal is to deter climbers or at least delay them so that officers and attack dogs have a few more seconds to apprehend them. In addition, there might be alterations to the White House grounds but no moat, as recently suggested by Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee. "When I hear moat, I think medieval times," says William Callahan, assistant director for the office of protective operation at the Secret Service.
The Times also reports that the Secret Service wants to spend $8 million to build a detailed replica of the White House in Beltsville, Maryland to aid in training officers and agents to protect the real thing. "Right now, we train on a parking lot, basically," says Joseph P. Clancy, the director of the Secret Service. "We put up a makeshift fence and walk off the distance between the fence at the White House and the actual house itself. We don't have the bushes, we don't have the fountains, we don't get a realistic look at the White House." The proposed replica would provide what Clancy describes as a "more realistic environment, conducive to scenario-based training exercises," for instructing those who must protect the president's home. It would mimic the facade of the White House residence, the East and West Wings, guard booths, and the surrounding grounds and roads. The request comes six months after an intruder scaled a wrought-iron fence around the White House and ran through an unlocked front door of the residence and into the East Room before officers tackled him.
The Times also reports that the Secret Service wants to spend $8 million to build a detailed replica of the White House in Beltsville, Maryland to aid in training officers and agents to protect the real thing. "Right now, we train on a parking lot, basically," says Joseph P. Clancy, the director of the Secret Service. "We put up a makeshift fence and walk off the distance between the fence at the White House and the actual house itself. We don't have the bushes, we don't have the fountains, we don't get a realistic look at the White House." The proposed replica would provide what Clancy describes as a "more realistic environment, conducive to scenario-based training exercises," for instructing those who must protect the president's home. It would mimic the facade of the White House residence, the East and West Wings, guard booths, and the surrounding grounds and roads. The request comes six months after an intruder scaled a wrought-iron fence around the White House and ran through an unlocked front door of the residence and into the East Room before officers tackled him.
outside of Washington
Why use secrete service agents when instead it could be a dual use facility for the training of the US Olympic track and field team. They excel at running and jumping so if it puts things beyond their abilities then it would be well beyond the abilities of any ordinary fence jumper.
Time to offend someone
Secret Service? And we are reading about what it does on Slashdot... Not so so secret, are you?
"the Secret Service is recruiting some of its best athletes to serve as pretend fence jumpers"
Why? There seem to be plenty of amateurs doing quite well in that discipline.
Shouldn't they train to stop the real jumpers when they get down on the other side?
That's where the deficit seems to be.
Why don't they just put up a normal sized fence, but cover it in cock lube so that it's really slippery and anyone who tries to climb it will just fall off?
To prevent people from jumping over, they should put tasers along the top, with computer-guided targeting systems that will shoot the tasers into the genitalia of anyone jumping the fence.
If somebody does make it over, they can just beat the person in the groin with sticks.
It seems like this could be a useful training tool, especially for more complex/dangerous threats like multiple agent terrorist attacks. However, I fail to see how this will improve an agent's ability to stop a guy from jumping a fence and making a break for it. This might be simplistic, but isn't the solution to that problem to keep your eyes open and then radio it in? You know, like every other security job in the country?
Just curious, couldn't they make it out of bulletproof glass? Then the aesthetics would be great because it's clear and yet the glass is slippery so there's nothing to grab hold of in order to climb over.
How do they expect to repel the Mongol Hoard that doesn't know how to swim?
The Animal Kingdom park has lots of cool visual tricks so you can't see the things keeping the animals from eating the visitors (and/or vice versa). Things like ha-has can be made almost invisible from both sides, with good landscaping.
Doesn't have such a negative visual aspect as a perfectly secure fence, doesn't involved major works such as a "medieval" moat etc? Would look like theres nothing there.
Fairly cheap as well.
Or turn over the outer lawns to rabid badgers.
How about getting a president that isn't so unpopular he needs protecting from anything and everything?
Transparent : tall invisible bars are aesthetically acceptable.
Fragile : make it seem easy and simple but fragile in a way that once broken it becomes hard to climb. If you break something and hurt yourself few people will blame the inanimate object.
Sticky: as soon as you touch it, it secretes superglue. The guards come with an innocuous solvent.
Hidden : fill the moat with a "non-Newtonian" dirt colored fluid. Doesn't look like a moat, but people do fall inside and it's hard to move fast through it.
How about locking the damn doors?
Love the name, but then I'm approaching that demographic.
Once they get the prototype fence tested maybe they can finally implement the same fence along the southern US border? A little more serious.... how about we stop mucking around in the affairs of other countries and stop defying the US Constitution so that people don't want to attack the white house?
For that kind of money it would be more economical to actually build a real work residence for the president. Why stay in a 18th century mansion when you can build a modern facility with serious infrastructure. Keep the White House for tourists and perhaps as a museum or special press meetings, but let real work take place in a secure environment that is actually designed for the modern state.
But I guess 8 million for a full-scale doll house is better for morale.
Yeah why get poked by a fence when you can get mauled by the dogs when you hit the ground.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
A moat is still a good idea. It can be an attractive feature, if done correctly, and someone entering the moat is a flag that they may be able to jump the fence.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Yeah, we wouldn't want to get too old-fashioned here as we build these upgrades to fend off religious fanatics and their ideals that go back thousands of years.
Marylands mock-up white house will likely also include the current secret service qualification/training exam questions along with a few new ones developed by the pentagon to address recent lapses.
1. At what point during the mad dash through the side door of the whitehouse by an assailant is the benny hill theme to be activated?
Bonus: If Sir Digby Chicken Caesar is being chased through the west wing with a bust of grover cleveland, How many chesterfield cans can he fit under the lincoln bed?
2. If skeeter and bo-jack both drink 4 shots of bourbon, but skeeter has had 3 more beers than Bo-Jack but 1 less than when he accidentally shot the cleaning lady at marthas vinyard, when is it appropriate to invoke state secrets after slamming into a security fence at on-ramp speeds?
3. At what point should you tip a south american prostitute? (Hint: the US currency exchange rate is in your favour.)
Good people go to bed earlier.
Put load cells at the base of the fence posts to measure the force of someone climbing on the outside.
Put up a precision E-fence to measure what got past the real fence.
Perhaps some robo-spotlights using theatre gear to focus attention on what is detected.
Not sure why the guy climbing the fence is a hard problem?
Drones seem a more interesting issue.
Perhaps radar and water jets?
At the same time, ugly fences are not an issue when it comes to US embassies on foreign soil.
A good example might be the one at 1, Liberty Square, Budapest, Hungary.
Bonus points for the address...
How about a adding a bar and liquor store near the fake White House? Now that would be realistic training!
...Secret Service wants to spend $8 million to build a detailed replica of the White House in Beltsville, Maryland to aid in training officers and agents to protect the real thing....
Which of the recent Secret Service failings to protect the White House were caused by a lack of a replica to train on? Would the agents have missed the concrete barrier on the way back from a party if they had trained on a replica of the White House? Would the White House usher have turned off the alert box if there were a replica of the White House to train on? etc., etc.
.
It is looking as if the Secret Service is piling on requests in this time of scrutiny.
Can't they make a giant airbag that inflates if you cross a perimiter? That would get extra geek points!
There will always be a nutter who just wants to kill somebody. If that's the President of the United States, I don't think he cares beyond making headlines. Their second option is probably to smash a plane into a mountainside.
You assume that _only_ non-US citizens want to kill the president of the USofA. The past attacks have proven this not to be true.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
eh, what?
Anyone who actually wanted to hurt anyone would fire an RPG at the house from several blocks away.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
Attack dogs have sharp edges and protuberances and can hurt visitors.
So why are they OK? Doggie likes a biscuit?
I'm waiting for some explanation of how fence can be politically incorrect. Does it discriminate against handicapped people? Do we need to build wheelchair ramps so the "differently abled" can also jump the fence?
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
As a loyal citizen o Her Britannic Majesty, I ind this whole thing hilarious.
You need a castle mate.
All this bollocks about fences "looking like a prison" is failure of imagination on a galactic scale.
For centuries people from less happy lands have crossed our silver sea to raise the hand of war against out kings and queens but their knavish tricks have been frustrated by our castles.
They are so aesthetically pleasing that millions of tourists flock to them, The Tower of London has no moat but would remain fast against any plausible attack. We use it to store the Crown Jewels.
If your Mr. Obama would care to contact Her Majesty then I'm sure she would supply the plans as a gift, I have her address if you need it.
Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Queen of Canada,Queen of Australia,Lord of Man,Overlord of Sark Defender of the Faith
Buckingham Palace
London
SW1A 1AA
Dominic Connor,Quant Headhunter
I work at an organization that uses a perimeter detection system around its campus, while not very advanced, it does work. I would think that the white House has some of the most advanced perimeter detection systems in the world. This seems to be a problem that is trying to be resolved by means other than a simple "make sure people actually do their jobs".
Moats can look good and can be crossable only at slower speeds:
https://www.google.ca/search?q...
Complexity Happens
Have they ever thought about juist using some sternly worded lawn signs?
"Ring of rose bushes." In fact, such was a common element in medieval fortifications, perhaps just as much as moats.
If the SS stayed away from the hookers and booze doing their job might be a little easier.
No need for a moat. Just make a shallow depression on the White House side of the fence, and plant the slope back up to the White House Lawn with a low hedge of barberry, firethorn, and roses. Beautiful for picture taking, will make casual fencejumpers think twice, and slow down anyone who does. Won't stop a serious assault, but that's not what this is about.
Will they also have their best alcoholics try to run through the fence with a car?
Maybe they'd have enough energy to catch the fence jumpers if they weren't so tuckered out by patronizing Colombian prostitutes.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
My proposal: the Annual White House Fence Run. Then some hide and seek, and whoever doesn't get caught gets to play President for one day.
Seems to me that the film and TV industry could really use a fake White House in the DC area as well.
So two options. First option, the Secret Service goes ahead and builds their fake White House outside of town, and then rents it out to movies and TV shows when it's not being used for drills, offsetting part of their budget.
Second option, some enterprising DC-area landowner builds their own fake White House, and rents it out for both Secret Service drills and for movies and TV shows.
Also worth pointing out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... -- there actually is a fake White House in the DC area already, but the grounds aren't very much like the real thing, so it's not too useful for the Secret Service.
would be a quantum leap
Once they get the prototype fence tested maybe they can finally implement the same fence along the southern US border?
The White House grounds are an 18-acre lot.
The Southern border is close to 2,000 miles.
Good luck building and securing a fence that size.
Yeah, I know you weren't being serious, but a lot of people don't appreciate the vastness of a border.
This is especially troublesome when they're the ones who scream the most about government waste.
Since money is no object why not a series of pop up fences. These fences are normally hidden and underground until triggered.
Only in the federal government can you get caught participating in corruption, incompetence, drunk driving, drug use, etc and expect to be rewarded with tens of millions of dollars to "train" and "improve security".
They will behave like kings.
This is not complicated, You can link Secret Service agents arm-to-arm around the White House and some nutjobs are still going to try to make a run for it.
But post just one IRS agent at each entrance and you will not have a problem again.
Outsourcing security to China like everything else? Maybe Israel. Hell we send NYC cops to Israel to train.
In IT it's called a QA environment!
What I want to know is how they will be defending against trebuchets.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
> Secret Service wants to spend $8 million to build a detailed replica of the White House in Beltsville, Maryland to aid in training officers and agents to protect the real thing.
Please don't stop there, but also build a replicant President and VP to populate the replica White House. They could be androids (gynoids) or mere clones. In case Putin's minions hit W. DC. with nukes, there will be a backup president at least.
On the other hand, a moat complete with drawbridge would be a merry finishing touch. The White House needs to look like the Disney logo castle a bit. Kids would love the scene. Just look at London with the many tourist watching as the Tower Bridge is parted over the Thames. There could be heralds with fanfare to announce arrival of the presidental chariot. If the Vatican can have the swiss guard, US secret service could also be a little more colourful. People need to be entertained, but there as too much "think of the tenorists" attitude in the past decade.
That'll work.
> And as someone who has to deal with invasive Japanese roses on his property
That property is Versailles, right, Lady Oscar?
Two fences.
Seriously, if they're just trying to delay the climbers by a few seconds, just give them a second obstacle to climb after they've made it over the first.
Because 1 guy figured out you can jump the fence, and 1 guy went through an unlocked door, they feel the need to build a full-scale mock-up of the White House? There are lots of businesses, including many in the Defense Industry, that are pretty good at building nice fences and able to lock a door.
The simple answer is to get a studio to build this for a movie. Market it as the ultimate White House replica. Use it for training the 99% of the year that it's not being used for filming. Everyone wins. The Secret Service doesn't throw away $8 Million and gets to pretend some one there actually has a brain.
KISS - Vaseline
A White House "prison look" is more than appropriate with the incarceration rate being what it is in the US.
The first step to building a fence along the southern border, is annexing Mexico and Central America. Then your fence is less than 100 miles long. While the US is annexing things, the same solution works fine for the northern border.
You forgot Slippery.
I know of two instances of Vaseline being used to prevent people from doing things. In once instance a home owner coated his external TV antenna to keep kids from climbing it. Also a town with a outdoor Christmas tree had kids stealing light bulbs, so they smeared those as well. In both cases, it A) Makes whatever it is you are trying to do more difficult, and B) pretty disgusting.
For bonus points add a localized smell. For extra credit, add a trace agent, so that under UV light or whatever it is easy to detect and hard to wash off, so you can find out who has been messing with stuff...
Also you could just electrify it... it doesn't have to be lethal, just enough to be very unpleasant if continued for any period of time. Otherwise I would go with bowmen and walls, they are good for defense.
Putting a thick layer of grease on an iron fence won't detract from the looks, and will significantly delay anyone trying to climb it.
As a bonus, it won't rust.
in order to protect the president they have declared a new no rights constitution free zone - its borders end at the ocean and Canada and Mexico . The latter two only until they get the new treaties signed!
...but you need a fucking high fence to stop a hijacked airliner.
Put 5 inch diameter cylinders on the top edge of the fence. Say 6 foot sections on narrow bearings. It would be hard to climb over because it would dump you back on the street. If you put the bearings in the ends of the cylinders, the gap could be 1/4 inch between the segments. Cameras and computers could watch for people on the street with ladders and sound the alarm.
I've got one word for ya:
"butter".
How about using the REAL White House for training exercises when the President is not there? It's not like they don't know several weeks in advance when the President is going to be out of town and can schedule training exercises and restrict public access on those days. Just sayin'
As far as more fortifications go, a series of motion sensors and long range tasers or maybe the Active Denial System on a roof mounted swivel would do. All you want to do is slow them down or make them not want to get closer. Some sort of badge with a chip in it could identify people who are supposed to be there and keep them from getting zapped. My point is there are modern ways to beef up perimeter security without building moats or ludicrously large fencing.
Need more money in your budget? Just slack off until something bad happens, then say it's because you need lots of money to prevent it from happening again.
Simple. Clearvu walls. Nice to look at and strong.