The Utah State Capitol is receiving a security update to prevent people from driving up and into the building.
Over the past few months, construction crews have been installing security posts, known as bollards, in front of all of the stair cases leading up to the entrance of the Capitol. Captain Jess Anderson of the Utah Highway Patrol oversees Capitol security. He says when a man drove his truck up the Capitol steps in 2013 it alerted officials about some of the building’s vulnerabilities.
“That created a lot of concern for many people and the key stakeholders here at the Capitol,” he says.
Anderson says finding a balance between security and accessibility is his team’s main goal. He says collaboration has been key to achieving that with this project.
“We want the buy in of all those who are the key stakeholders," he says. "To help them as they understand and as we help them understand what some of those vulnerabilities are that we face and how we can improve and keep them safe.”
The project is part of $2.8 million worth of external security improvements that the legislature approved earlier this year. Lawmakers also approved interior security improvements costing $600 thousand, and a $300 thousand increase for capitol security staffing.