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White House fence jumper arrested

17 May 2017 00:28 (UTC +04:00)

The Secret Service arrested a person who jumped a barrier outside the White House grounds, the agency said Tuesday, APA reports quoting U.S. media.

"Secret Service responding to an individual who jumped the bike rack along the North Fence Line of Penn Ave. Suspect in custody," the agency wrote in a tweet.

Journalists on the driveway outside the West Wing were told to clear the area and go back inside.

The agency has dealt with multiple fence-jumping incidents in recent years, and they have not let up since President Trump's inauguration.

The most serious security breach this year occurred in March, when a man who scaled the fence was on the White House grounds for 15 minutes before being apprehended.

The Secret Service has tried to bulk up security measures around the White House, including placing bike racks in front of the permanent fence surrounding the North and South Lawns.

Spikes on top of the main fence were installed in 2015 to deter climbers.

The federal government is planning to install a new, taller fence around the White House. The design was approved earlier this year but but it's unclear when work will begin.