Arlington National Cemetery is taking new steps to boost security measures for visitors, officials announced Tuesday.
Visitors will now be required to go through an additional screening, which will add another security layer to random ID checks and other measures already in place.
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“Arlington is taking advanced security precautions to protect visitors, family members and staff,” Patrick Hallinan, Arlington National Cemetery executive director, said Monday in a statement. “These security measures will be similar to the ones at museums in the national capital region.”
The visitor screening will begin in November, officials announced. Once it’s in place, all pedestrian traffic will have to enter through set access points. Before getting to the main entrance, people will be screened at the Welcome Center.
Those in vehicles will have to present valid, government-issued ID. Vehicles will also be subject to random inspections.
“These processes may result in a delay entering Arlington, but it is vitally important that we protect the safety of all the visitors, family members and staff that enter these hallowed grounds,” Hallinan said. “This is our nation’s premier national cemetery, and we want to be sure that when people visit this site, they can feel safe and secure.”
Arlington Cemetery is where more than 400,000 service members, veterans and their families are buried.
Located in Arlington, Va., an estimated 4 million people visit the cemetery annually.
