Federal grant to fund higher fences at San Jose International
SAN JOSE, Calif. - On Monday, the federal government announced nearly $3.5 million in funding that will go toward improving the perimeter fence at Mineta San Jose International Airport after the facility had five security breaches in less than a year.
Four out of the five security breaches had to do with someone climbing the fence. Right now, only the airport's southwest corner has a fence that was raised from six feet to 10 feet high. With this grant, more fencing around the airport will be raised to discourage any more unauthorized access.
Travelers who use the airport in and out of the South Bay may be relieved to know the facility should soon be more secure. The airport will use the grant to install more fencing that’s 10 feet high, topped with an additional foot of barbed wire.
“Any breach is unacceptable,” said Representative Mike Honda. “What you want to work towards is perfection.”
Honda said something needed to be done after the first breach last year, when a 15-year-old hopped the fence and stowed away in the wheel well of a plane on a flight to Hawaii. Most recently, back in March, a 20-year-old woman was seen running around the south end of the airfield after she jumped the fence.
“It will eliminate and deter quite a bit of people who want to scale the fence,” said Honda. “Before, it was pretty easy.”
Airport Spokesperson Rosemary Barnes said the new grant will raise 8,600 feet of fence line to 10 feet at the north and south ends of the airport by May of next year.
The southwest corner of the airport grounds already had higher fencing because of the proximity to Avaya Stadium and a shopper center are across the street.
“We are phasing this based upon funding and based upon studying what needs to be upgraded and how will we upgrade it,” said Barnes.
Passengers said improvements can't come soon enough given all the breaches that have already happened at the San Jose airport.
“I’m hoping the federal government and the investment in security can keep up with what's happening,” said Passenger Julie Mills. “I’m afraid people who are trying to do bad things can do things faster than we can keep up with it.”
The grant isn't enough money to raise the airport's entire 6-mile perimeter fence. That is the airport's goal in the next few years as well as incorporating new security technology upgrades including surveillance, infrared and motion detectors.