PRE-EMPTIVE

Secret Service Permanently Closes White House Sidewalk

After rash of fence-jumping incidents.

The Secret Service has sought to keep out more potential White House intruders by permanently closing a sidewalk that has traditionally been open to the public. The agency announced the news Wednesday night, saying the closure of a sidewalk along the southern fence of the White House will “lessen the possibility of individuals illegally accessing the White House grounds,” Reuters reported, citing a statement from the agency. The Secret Service said the closure of the sidewalk will not affect visitors’ ability to photograph the White House, and no “physical” barriers will be installed. Since 2015, the sidewalk had been closed only between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. But numerous fence-jumping incidents in recent weeks have prompted concerns about White House security. In the most high-profile intrusion, a man managed to scale a fence and wander around the White House grounds undetected for 16 minutes in March. Although he never entered the White House, he reportedly got very close to an entrance of the president’s residence, and President Trump was inside when it happened. In another incident last month, a woman tried to scale the White House fence but was promptly caught by Secret Service officers after she got stuck by her shoelaces.