Don’t Fence Us Out

The Georgia Building Authority is planning to erect an 8-foot fence around the Georgia State Capitol. You don’t have to leave your seat to see why that’s a bad idea.

The southwest corner of the Georgia State Capitol as seen in Google street view.

The Rationale for the Fence

The Georgia Building Authority has approved spending $5 million to increase security at the Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion and the Department of Public Safety headquarters in southeast Atlanta. Each of these locations have been sites chosen by protestors calling for an end to police violence.

A group of protestors vandalized the DPS building in July. A fire reportedly broke out in a DPS office when a firework was thrown through an open window. The cost to repair the building has been estimated at $250,000.

Approximately two dozen Georgia National Guard troops have assisted with overnight security at the Capitol and surrounding state government buildings. The buildings are protected by state troopers and the Capitol police - a force of about 40 officers protect the buildings downtown.

The History of Our Capitol

Georgia is divided into 159 counties - more than any other state except Texas (which is considerably larger than Georgia). The high number of counties meant more county seats (the location of county government). More county seats meant citizens could play an active role in government because they could reach their county seat in no more than one day of travel.

Georgians have been visiting government offices in our Capitol building since March of 1889. The grounds host statues (including the new statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and memorials. The building hosts the Capitol Museum and events throughout the year.

The Capitol has been accessible to anyone visiting the grounds or building for pleasure or business. The presence of the Capitol Police and state troopers has been enough to deter crime and create a sense of safety for those visiting - we’ve never needed a permanent fence.

The Real Cost of the Fence

The cost of the fence to Georgians is the message it sends. An 8-foot fence with a spike on the top of each picket says we didn’t weather challenging times with grace and patience. Instead, we erected a permanent barrier to entry to the most public house in the state. We created distance when we needed dialog.

The Capitol grounds, our Capitol grounds, is a park for our enjoyment. We shouldn’t be kept from it (even if we’re having spirited discussion about the statues and monuments in that park). We shouldn’t be routed to gates that are convenient to no one but the Capitol police.

The monthly bill for the Georgia National Guard troops guarding the Capitol is expensive - reportedly $200,000 every month. While that’s a large expense and the money could be better spent on other services, the fence means the protests will continue elsewhere. It seems the state is erecting a fence to make the protests someone else’s problems.

Liberty Plaza sits across Capitol Avenue from the Georgia Capitol Building

There’s Already a Place to Protest

If you’ve not visited the Georgia Capitol lately, you might not know there’s already a place for people to gather. Liberty Plaza was recently constructed across Capitol Avenue on the southeast side of the Capitol building. It’s used frequently, especially during the legislative session, for rallies, protests and meetings.

Liberty Plaza is large enough to hold hundreds of people. It’s a place to assemble and share opinions/voice concerns without interfering with the daily operation and security of the Capitol.

We appreciate some people wish to do exactly that - interfere with the operation and security of the Capitol. Erecting a fence that forces traffic flow to a few entry points makes interruption that much easier.

See For Yourself

Security assessments for the Georgia Capitol Building have historically noted the building’s vulnerability because it sits so close to the street on three of its sides. Short of closing roads around the capitol, there’s no easy way to address this issue - a fence won’t help.

Easy access to the building is one of its best features. Have a look for yourself on the “street view” of your favorite mapping service. The image above is from Google maps.

The grounds are beautiful and the building welcomes you with convenient entrances protected by discrete security. That will change dramatically if the proposed fence is erected.

What Will You Do?

News reports have suggested some officials view the fence as a practical solution. If you feel the fence is a mistake, please contact your elected officials. You can use Georgia’s My Vote Page to look up your elected officials and find their contact information on the Georgia General Assembly website.