TALK ABOUT A FENCE!

Last week Chicago Aldermen held a joint Finance and Buildings Committee meeting to discuss a proposal that would make it legal for businesses to install non-lethal and non-electric security fences around their companies to protect their property. The fences would not be allowed to border on any public or residential property. I vote for zapping the would-be burglar.


The Chicago Tribune reported that the fences would be,”Powered by a solar-powered device akin to a car battery, the fences send 7,000 volt jolts every 1.3 seconds into the hands of people who touch the fences, which have never proved fatal in the states and cities that allow them, said Michael Pate, director of business development for Sentry Security Systems.” Pate also said that by comparison, a Taser delivers a 50,000-volt jolt 21 times a second. So one can easily comprehend mathematically that a zap from the fence is not going to come anywhere close to badly injuring someone.

Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner John McNicholas testified against the fences saying they could make it tougher for fire fighters if they were on the scene of a fire and worried about getting into the property without being zapped themselves. The easy solution to that would be to give master keys to the fire department just as they have master keys to high-rise elevator systems.

Currently, electric fences are legal in Chicago, but only to secure railroad facilities. The proposal passed the committee and the full council was expected to vote on it. But the ordinance never came up at the meeting. Maybe next time.

Now if you want to talk about a fence, Israel has a new one being erected. According to the BBC, in November, “Work is beginning in Israel on a barrier along the border with Egypt, aimed at stemming the flow of illegal immigrants into the country. The barrier, including an electric fence and surveillance technology, will run for 250km (155 miles). Work on the $372m (£232m) project is expected to take up to a year.” Bulldozers were dispatched to three points along the 150-mile boundary and Israeli TV showed them clearing patches of land and digging trenches near Egyptian border posts.

The Israeli government approved the construction of the barrier in March, after months of planning and preparatory work. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the influx of illegal migrants across the border as a major threat to "the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel.

Since the proposed Chicago security fences are nothing like what Israel is erecting, what’s the big deal?