How to secure the U.S. Capitol without a fence

Smart landscaping and ballistic window film are some suggestions from security and architecture professionals who spoke to Newsy’s investigative team.

U.S. Capitol Police want to build a permanent fence around the building to enhance security after the Jan. 6 insurrection. It’s a controversial idea, and one that may not be necessary according to top security experts and architects contacted by Newsy.

It wasn’t that the intel wasn’t there, it wasn’t acted on. And that’s a very important distinction.

Phil Gurski, Former CSIS Analyst

It’s now an open pedestrian plaza, affording unobstructed access for both visitors and Secret Service. After an attack on Canada’s parliament in 2014, an analysis found the most critical security lapses weren’t physical but instead a result of human errors.

Security services in Ottawa streamlined law enforcement coordination and enhanced intelligence gathering, which may have made more of a difference at the U.S. Capitol than a fence, said Phil Gurski, president and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting.

“It wasn’t that the intel wasn’t there, it wasn’t acted on,” Gurski said of the Jan. 6 riot. “And that’s a very important distinction.”

A decision by Congress on a permanent fence will wait until at least March 5, when a security review is scheduled to conclude.