It seems to me that Chaffets wouldn’t mind setting up R2D2s at the WH perimeter and turn any fence jumpers into gazpacho.

ALIENS: AUTO GUNS PT1

Using nonlethal means to subdue those that make it across the fence line is admirable and should be preferred. The problem is that the supposed layers of defense once the guy got onto the grounds didn’t materialize. He was able to make it deep inside the White House.

There were unlocked doors. There were officers who weren’t in proper positions. All of these things need to be reviewed and resolved.

What’s also lost on the hearings is that the President has been threatened and targeted more than most other presidents in recent history. The Secret Service has done a great job keeping the president safe, but it’s come with more than a fair share of luck (as in the most recent instances). They can’t rely on luck and need to improve security at the WH.

But that doesn’t mean throwing up another fence outside the perimeter.

It means fixing what happened inside. Perhaps it means adjusting the fence itself to make it more difficult to climb over. Even then, there’s a balancing act.