An Army veteran jumped the fence of the White House last September, and the U.S. Secret Service hopes to never let that happen again. Now, with their next best solution, they hope to build an $8 million White House replica that will be used for training purposes. Currently, there is already a simulation of the White House on a 500-acre site in southern Maryland, but the simulation is described as "rudimentary [and] not-to-scale" by The New York Times. "Right now, we train on a parking lot, basically," said Director of the Secret Services Joseph P. Clancy. After September's fence jumping, a panel of security experts proposed building a bigger fence, adding, "Problems exposed by recent events go deeper than a new fence can fix." Along with a detailed replica of the White House, the agency is also asking for funds to renovate a "live-fire shoot house" and to repair a "tactical village" that recreates a city street environment. The agency will ask Congress for the funding in the next fiscal year.
· Secret Service Wants a Fake White House to Help Protect the Real One [The New York Times]
· The Secret Service Wants to Build a Fake White House. It Could Just Buy This One in McLean. [Washingtonian]
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