Secret Service to reduce public access to White House after intruder break-in
Move to bolster security at President's Washington residence follows March incident in which man scaled walls and roamed grounds
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US Secret Service said it would end public access to a sidewalk along the south fence of the White House beginning on Wednesday night.
The sidewalk has been closed nightly from 11pm to 6am since 2015 and will now be off-limits around the clock, the Secret Service said in a statement.
The closure will “lessen the possibility of individuals illegally accessing the White House grounds,” Secret Service Communications Director Cathy Milhoan said.
In March, a man scaled a fence east of the White House at night and was on the property's grounds for 16 minutes before being detained. He never entered the White House, the Secret Service said.
President Donald Trump was inside the residence at the time of the March 10 incident.
The intrusion was the latest in a series of breaches at the White House in recent years. Security has been boosted, including the installation in 2015 of sharp spikes on top of the black iron fence that circles the 18-acre (7-hectare) property.
Blocking use of the south fence sidewalk will not obstruct the public's ability to view or photograph the White House and its grounds, the Secret Service said, adding no additional “physical” barriers would be installed.
The same restrictions are in place on the north fence of the White House grounds, according to the Secret Service.
Reuters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments