The White House is installing a fence with spikes to keep intruders out

White House
(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Although the technical term isn't "spikes" — it's actually a "removable anti-climb feature" — for all intents and purposes the latest security measure at the White House involves barbing an iron fence.

The measures are perhaps overdue: In September, a man carrying a knife scaled the fence, ran across the North Lawn, and entered the White House before being tackled by a Secret Service officer. Last April, in a similar incident, an individual jumped over the White House fence and was also taken into custody by the Secret Service.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.