FollowSecurity Services face another incident which could place them under scrutiny for not taking enough safety measures for those currently residing in the White House. A fifty-four-year old man was arrested on Sunday, the 19th of April, 2015 for trying to jump the fence of the White House on the south side of the complex. The incident happened at 10.45 p.m. . Fortunately, he was immediately stopped and arrested by US Secret Services Uniformed Division Officers.
Jerome R. Hunt is originally from Hayward, California. While attempting to scale the tall fence, he was also carrying a suspicious parcel. This package was classified as harmless after careful examinations carried out by the officers.
Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary gave details of the incident to the press, saying that everything is currently under control.
When asked about the fence jumper, Jason Chaffetz, White House oversight Committee Chairman, stated that the major goal is prevention and that further investigations will be made. Jerome R. Hunt is supposed to appear in front of a Superior Court Jury to face charges of illegal entry in the White House premises.
A few days before this event, a U.S. Official declared to the CNN that there have been discussions to add steel spikes to the tips of the fence surrounding the White House. This would be a temporary situation but might prove very effective in preventing other incidents involving people attempting to break into the perimeters of the White House. A decision in this respect has not yet been made.
The Secret Service has been long criticized and accused for lapses in the security that is their duty to provide for the most important people in the United States. Last year, on September 19, a man holding a knife scaled the fence and managed to enter the executive mansion. His goal was to find the president. That incident was preceded by six other similar events in 2014 and sixteen cases since 2007. Among these, one event even involved two officials. Over a month ago, two Secret Service Officers who were intoxicated crashed a White House barrier with their car.
Thus, the question remains as to whether everything is done to maintain safety at the White House. One thing is for sure – people’s trust in the Secret Services is starting to decline.
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