The building will sit back about 50 feet from the street. The face of the structure will be made of laminated glass designed to stay in its frame in an explosion. It will be flanked by trees, a park and waist-high cement plugs designed to keep out vehicles. The uniformed federal protective force that provides security to federal buildings has been doubled to nearly 7,000 officers and contract employees. Thousands of additional cameras, X-ray machines and metal detectors have been installed nationwide, four modern communications centers are in operation and efforts have been begun to better gather intelligence about possible threats.
Some people think some of the steps have gone too far.
In Washington, some lawmakers and local officials have been lobbying to reopen Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House, a stretch that was closed to cars and trucks after Oklahoma City. The Secret Service opposes that idea. They replace drab and less secure concrete planters installed after a bomb went off at the Capitol in 1983. Worried about giving would-be attackers any information, police are reluctant to provide much detail about most of the improvements, including the force that the bollards could withstand if a truck rammed into them. Authorities confirm they have installed equipment that would detect and respond to a chemical or biological attack, and have trained officers to use the devices.