Governor proposes $13 million in Capitol security improvements following October break in

Gov. Bob Ferguson proposed spending nearly $13 million to enhance security at the Capitol campus following an October break-in.

The money, included in the governor’s supplemental budget proposal released Tuesday, would restore funding cuts passed for security personnel by the Legislature earlier this year and increase physical security measures on the campus.

The request comes after an intruder used a hammer to break into the Capitol building Oct. 5 through a first-floor window .

According to the Washington State Patrol, 29-year-old Gunnar Schubert entered the north side of the building at approximately 10:15 p.m. with two hammers. He broke small office equipment, including card readers and hand sanitizer dispensers, before going up to the building’s large rotunda and “escalating damage.” According to estimates released last month, the incident caused more than $600,000 in damage.

Following the October break-in, a spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol said the first patrol officer arrived on scene within 30 seconds of the suspect entering the building, and the suspect was taken into custody approximately 10 minutes after the first call.

In a budget request, officials for the Department of Enterprise Services, which oversees the campus, wrote that funding cuts resulted in “effectively eliminating” the facility’s security operations center and public space compliance team.

According to the request, the operations center operated 24/7 and included six full-time staff members responsible for managing 800 cameras, 1,000 access points, 76 duress buttons and interacting with law enforcement personnel.

“Early detection of unauthorized or criminal activity is critical for quick intervention,” the agency’s request states. “It allows for faster response times, reduces the need for unnecessary law enforcement response for non-criminal behavior, and increases our ability to use de-escalation tactics.”

Without the operations center, security efforts on the campus shifted from “preventative to reactive, meaning law enforcement response would take place after the damage is done to public safety, state employees, or state assets.”

The request notes that at 486 acres, the campus is the largest in the country, but has the least amount of “law enforcement resources.”

“Security of the state Capitol Campus is essential for keeping the public and state employee staff safe while protecting the historical assets contained in its many buildings,” the request states.

According to the request, the money would ensure that the Capitol’s security operations center is staffed around the clock. The money would also restore the “Public Compliance Space Team” specialized incident response, mental health first aid, and crisis de-escalation.

The team conducts foot patrols of the campus and interacts with those violating campus rules, among other responsibilities.

Without either the public compliance space team or operations center, the Department of Enterprise Services said the state will “experience increased property damage (i.e. graffiti) and liability (i.e. found needles) across campus that would require cleanup as an unfunded expense to the state.”

The budget proposal also includes $10 million to increase physical security on the campus, a request that cites the October break in.

“While immediate cleanup, repairs, and insurance claims have been addressed, broader security enhancements are now underway,” the governor’s request states.

Last month, a protective film was installed on the exterior windows of the building. The film is designed to make the windows harder to shatter.

According to the request, the additional money would be used to study, design and install “level 3 ballistic glass with back glazing” on exterior windows of the building. According to Armorax, an armored car manufacturer, level three glass is designed to withstand at least three 0.44 magnum rounds.

According to the Department of Enterprise Services, repairs from the October break-in could cost between $623,000 and $914,000. The Department of Enterprise Services has filed multiple insurance claims seeking reimbursement for costs associated with the cleanup.