Congress Increases House Office Building Security

Congress Increases House Office Building Security

The U.S. House of Representatives is introducing an additional layer or security at parking garages below House office buildings.

The Capitol’s Sergeant at Arms is bringing the House office buildings’ parking garages within it’s secure perimeter, according to the Committee on Administration, which oversees the Capitol complex.

Currently, security procedures allow drivers who park in the garages in the Rayburn, Longworth, and Cannon office buildings to enter the buildings from the garage without having to go through metal detectors or running their bags through x-ray machines.

Drivers must have the proper staff identification and parking permits to enter the garage, but employees who park in any of the of the House office building garages are not subject to the same security screening as employees and visitors who enter on foot.

As of Feb. 22, that will change, according to the Administration Committee. Starting that day, the first phase of screening will be introduced at Longworth, Cannon and Ford House Office Buildings. The second phase will begin in the fall and is expected to encompass Rayburn.

When complete, the staff will be required to utilize any of 7 access points in the garages to access the House Office buildings. These access points will be equipped with  metal detectors and machines to screen bags. The goal of the initiative is to ensure 100 percent of the people entering the buildings have been properly screened before entering.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Bringing it Together

    Public safety communications have long been used to help first responders save lives and to help keep first responders safe, improve response time, and enhance interagency coordination. These communication solutions may include mobile (5G), radio telecommunication and mass notification systems. Read Now

  • Exploring the Future of Video

    AI innovation is rapidly transforming video security. Edge-based AI centered on object detection excels at detecting people and vehicles to alert to threats like brandished guns or perimeter breaches. However, the onus is on the user to gather more details to fully understand the situation. Read Now

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.