The Washington State Patrol says security at the governor’s mansion in Olympia has been improved in the wake of two breaches. Trespassers made it past the perimeter fence in 2013 and again earlier this year.
Some of the security upgrades are obvious: a higher, more robust gate at the east entrance to the governor’s mansion. This is the gate that was easily scaled by a trespasser in August of 2013. That event was caught on video. According to the State Patrol a new alarm has also been installed on that gate.
Other security changes the Patrol won’t discuss. But Captain Monica Alexander says the breaches led to some “conversations and training.” The trooper cadets who guard the mansion grounds are run through different scenarios at the academy. She adds that the Patrol is always looking for ways to improve security for the governor and first family. Bottom line, says Alexander, “If a person accessed the mansion grounds then something definitely could have been done better.”
