Photo by Angela Pan
After some high-profile threats on the complex in recent years, officials are planning to enhance security measures on the U.S. Capitol grounds, according to NBC Washington.
U.S. House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving announced some of the improvements at a recent hearing for the U.S. House Committee on Administration, according to NBC, which also obtained committee records that detail the upgrades.
According to the records, officials plan to install an underground alarm system on the perimeter of the Capitol building to help detect after-hours threats and stop people from trespassing on restricting spaces. They also intend to install “new, reinforced windows” to U.S. House office buildings, including the Longworth, Rayburn, and Cannon buildings, in addition to placing K-9 teams near building entrances to lessen the chance of threats reaching indoor checkpoints.
When taking on security initiatives, Irving told NBC that he works to “provide a greater level of safety and security to the members, staff and visitors, while maintaining the openness and park-like nature of the Capitol surroundings.”
“I believe these initiatives do that with little to no adverse impact on the traditions and processes of the institution,” Irving continued.
In 2015, Douglas Hughes landed a gyrocopter on Capitol grounds. Hughes, who was a mailman at the time, was armed with 535 letters—one for each member of Congress. While he wanted to bring attention to “the influence of big money in politics,” he instead prompted a debate about airspace defense. Last April, a judge sentenced him to 120 days in prison and a year of supervised release.
Last Spring, police said that Larry Dawson pulled out a weapon during a security screening at the Capitol Visitors Center, prompting an officer to shoot him. A female bystander was also treated for minor injuries. He pleaded guilty in December to a charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers while using a deadly or dangerous weapon.
In addition, U.S. Capitol Police records show officers arrested at least 55 people for disrupting Congress last month—that’s nearly a five-fold increase in the number of these types of arrests on Capitol Hill as compared to all of last year.
Officials told NBC that the enhancements are being made to “better prevent potential threats” from happening on the Capitol grounds. It’s unclear when the upgrades will be installed.
