Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro faces significant security concerns following a recent incident where an intruder breached the governor’s mansion. Cody A. Balmer, 38, is accused of tossing the incendiary devices into the home. This reckless move led to a swift action by state police. The shooting was just hours after Shapiro and his family welcomed in the Jewish holiday of Passover. This sad reality calls into question the potency and sincerity of each of these entities’ security safeguards.
About 2 a.m., state troopers knocked on Shapiro’s door, shaking the sleeping Shapiro awake. Their immediate threat required his family to leave in a matter of hours. The whole incident took just minutes. Nonetheless, it has resulted in at least one charge of attempted murder, aggravated arson, and terrorism against Balmer. On July 1, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. George Bivens broke the scary news. According to him, an extensive security assessment is currently underway.
Previous Security Breaches
The recent attack is not even the first such security breach into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion. In 2019, a would-be intruder was even able to break into cars that were parked in the public compound around the Mansion. Given this troubling history of vulnerabilities, it’s not surprising that threats to the safety of state officials continue to rise.
Jeffrey Miller, a federal executive protection expert, noted the severity of such breaches. Iliff said he was shocked at how easily Balmer was able to climb the fence and make his way to the mansion.
“From a professional security perspective, the fact that the individual was able to scale the fence and do what he did, that’s not security.” – Jeffrey Miller
Miller wanted to underscore the broader impact of this unfortunate incident. Weighing in on the alarming and increasing threats received by public servants across America, he
“With attacks on people in the insurance industry, and the attack on President Trump during the campaign and other attacks or plots against, like Gov. Whitmer in Michigan and others, you start to operate in an environment that’s a difficult one from the executive protection standpoint.” – Jeffrey Miller
Security Measures in Place
The Pennsylvania State Police are required to provide protection for the governor and the lieutenant governor. They do this via a personally dedicated Executive Services team, created in 1942. While today’s protective measures have added extensive visible presence of armed security at public events and deterring transportation services to accommodate the governor’s schedule.
Even with these longtime protocols, experts are doubting their efficacy after this most recent breach. Miller acknowledged that increased sensitivity to possible dangers should result in more robust security protocols going forward.
“I’m sure they’ll find out exactly what happened there and what they can do to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” – Jeffrey Miller
The security considerations are compounded by the public visibility of the Governor’s Residence from a fairly major street that runs in front of the Residence. Very rarely does Gov. Shapiro’s office do a public event without visibly having state troopers present in attendance. This situation reveals possible shortcomings with their immediate protective tactics.
Broader Implications and Responses
The appalling incident has raised important questions about the treatment of public servants. As Pennsylvania’s third Jewish governor, that dynamic injects an additional layer of sensitivity. His leadership as one of the most visible and controversial figures in the Democratic Party today only amplifies this effect. He has been touted lately as a possible No. 2 to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Unfortunately, in recent years, threats against our public officials have skyrocketed. In 2020, federal and state authorities thwarted a detailed conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer by a group of largely white men. This grim statistic led to renewed calls to provide stronger protective measures for state leaders.
Whitmer herself was quick to speak out about heightened attacks being waged on public officials.
“No one − no public servant, no family − should ever be targeted for doing their job or standing up for what they believe in.” – Gretchen Whitmer
State officials are reassessing their longstanding security measures. Notoriously difficult to protect, today’s environment makes it even more complicated for them to keep those public figures safe.
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