Pennsylvania governor’s residence to get an ‘anti-climb’ fence

A barrier described as an “anti-climb fence” is in the works for the Pennsylvania governor’s official residence, the state police chief said Tuesday, less than a month after a late-night intruder jumped the existing fence, broke into the home and started a damaging fire.

Col. Christopher Paris’ letter to state lawmakers mentioned the fence as part of a series of changes to bolster security at the brick mansion that is the Harrisburg home of Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family.

The alleged intruder, an unemployed welder, faces charges that include attempted homicide and arson for the fire at about 2 a.m. on April 13. Shapiro and family members were awakened and evacuated, hours after participating in a Passover Seder in the residence. No one was hurt but the building’s damage has been estimated to total millions of dollars.

Paris told lawmakers he does not intend to provide them with a security review conducted by consultant Jeffrey B. Miller, who led the state police about two decades ago.

Miller’s findings and his agency’s own investigation, Paris told the legislators, have changed procedures, including “more frequent security assessments,” the establishment of a uniformed division to oversee building security at the residence and the installation of a no-climb fence.

Fences of metal and brick about 7-feet (2-meter) high already circle the residence along the Susquehanna River about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Capitol. Construction on the new fence did not appear to have begun Tuesday afternoon, although small marker flags along the property’s perimeter indicated work is underway.

“While some of those improvements will be clearly visible to the public — such as the new anti-climb fence — many will not be,” Paris wrote. He said Miller’s report contained details about security operations that, if disclosed to the public, “would obviously risk jeopardizing the safety” of those the agency protects.