Where's the security?

[Lewis 0]

Armed Man Bursts Into Capitol, Leads Police on Four-Floor Chase

A man drove past security and onto the grounds of the U.S. Capitol yesterday morning and then ran deep inside the building, leading police on a wild chase covering all four main floors before he was cornered in the basement.

More than 25 officers pursued the man, and some managed to wrestle him to the floor outside a room where flags are stored. It was only after they searched him that they found a loaded gun in his waistband. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.

The incident was remarkable in light of the security buildup that followed the slayings of two Capitol Police officers in 1998 and the roughly $2 billion Congress has budgeted for its security since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It also uncovered weaknesses in a Capitol police force that has grown to 2,300 officers -- bigger than the police departments of some cities.

The episode raised questions about security, and authorities have promised a thorough investigation. Besides getting onto the grounds by crashing through a construction site just behind the Capitol, Greene apparently had little trouble getting inside the building through a restricted entrance on the third floor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6091800202.html