After Shooting, Attention Moves to Base Security

The recent deadly shooting at the Washington Navy Yard has placed renewed focus on the security at federal installations, including Fort Meade. 

Law enforcement officials said Aaron Alexis, 34, opened fire at the Navy Yard Monday, killing 12 and sparking a review of security procedures at installations across the country.

According to officials, Alexis was a Navy contractor who accessed the federal facility legally using a valid ID card.

At Fort Meade, officials said they stepped up security in the wake of the shooting out of "an abundance of caution" but there was no indication that the base was threatened. 

Installation officials said there is a constant discussion about balancing the need for security with keeping the base accessible to the public at large. Currently, anyone can enter through Fort Meade gates by showing a valid identification from the Defense Department. 

All visitors without a valid DOD identification are required to go through a vehicle inspection and provide a valid reason to be on post. However, officials have encouraged the general public to take part in events on base ranging from concerts, to 5K races to holiday celebrations. 

"Fort Meade always takes the opportunity to invite the public onto the installation to take part in our multiple events as a way to build our ongoing partnership with the community but also to show the great things we do here," Installation Commander Col. Brian Foley said in an email. "At the same time, it is my mission to make the installation as safe and secure as possible, and that mission is always at the forefront of my mind. It is a balancing act we take seriously and something we must constantly reassess."

Fort Meade was once far more open to the public, and was even used as a shortcut for some drivers looking for a shortcut between Route 32 and Route 175. That changed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but base officials have since worked to avoid closing the base off to the public while balancing the need for security. Fort Meade spokeswoman Mary Doyle said security procedures and staffing are "never static" and is "something we constantly analyze."

Finding resources to secure Fort Meade has been a challenge; the installation recently closed one gate because it was having difficulty maintaining staffing levels.

"Closing this gate has been inconvenient to our workforce and people traveling along Route 175, but it was the most responsible action I could take considering our resources and my mission of maintaining a safe and secure environment on Fort Meade," Foley said. 

Fort Meade is currently implementing an automated gate entry system, in which DOD identification cards are linked to with the registration of the vehicle they have on record. The idea behind the system is to allow approved DOD cardholders to expedite entry while allowing security personnel to focus on suspicious and high-risk behavior. Installation of ID card readers, drop arms and places to register cars was scheduled to begin this week. 

Doyle said external security measures are in place to keep out those who don't belong, but noted that Alexis, who had a valid DOD identification card, was able to enter the Navy Yard legally. Doyle said that Fort Meade workers are trained in how to respond if there is an gunman on post. 

"Just like any other business or location you have to prepare for that active shooter scenario," she said. "It's a sad state of affairs, but it's something we have to train on every year."

 An independent panel commissioned by the Defense Department recommended better screenings for civilians entering military installations, and better mental health assessments. The panel was commissioned after Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, shot 13 people to death at Fort Hood in 2009. Hasan was sentenced to death in the shootings last month. 

See also: 

• Who Was Aaron Alexis?
• 13 Killed in Navy Yard Rampage, Gunman Dead