Municipal offices need to be welcoming, accessible, and functional while protecting the employees who serve that public from security threats. And they have to do it on tight budgets while maintaining operations.
Given those concerns, we often recommend local government buildings use a phased approach to implementing physical security and consider retrofitting existing structures with stronger protection where it makes sense.
Here’s a closer look at what’s driving security upgrades in the government sector and how to implement them in a cost-effective way.
As you start planning security upgrades for your municipal building, this checklist walks you through every phase, from threat assessment and design to installation, with realistic timelines and key considerations.
Government agencies serve people in high-traffic, sometimes emotionally charged environments where routine interactions can escalate quickly. Municipal buildings see residents disputing tax assessments, contesting charges, navigating family court, and seeking social services.
Several high-profile attacks have made headlines in recent years, including a man who injured five people after allegedly detonating a bomb in a county courthouse in Santa Maria, Calif. The man was reportedly yelling that the government had taken his guns and he needed to fight back, according to the FBI.
Another attacker was charged with attempted murder and related charges after he allegedly cut security personnel in the face with a folding knife and stabbed one of them in the back at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York.
Incidents like these are happening across industries. According to the latest Allied Universal World Security Report, 66% of chief security officers said they planned to increase their security budgets in the next year.
However, government offices aren’t usually in a position to increase budgets, making it more difficult to add security measures.
The good news is that retrofitting government buildings for physical security doesn't require a full renovation, a large budget, or weeks of disruption.
Here’s how we recommend approaching it.
The most common mistake we see in government security planning is starting with a solution before fully understanding the problem.
Before selecting materials or systems, stakeholders and decision makers in your municipality need a clear picture of what you're protecting and what threats are most likely.
A physical security risk assessment should cover:
Talk with local law enforcement partners and colleagues at other agencies.
Understanding the context before you plan for controls produces a more effective security system and a more defensible budget request.
No single product or system creates a secure environment on its own.
Effective physical security uses a defense-in-depth model where multiple layers of protection work together.
The goal is to deter entry, delay intruders, detect potential threats early, and enable a faster response.
Here's how that looks for government facilities.
The front entrance and service windows are the highest-priority areas in most municipal buildings.
This is where employees regularly interact with the public and where threats are most likely to occur.
Secure entryways or vestibules, sometimes called mantraps, create a controlled entry point between the exterior and the interior of a building.
Intruders must pass through two sets of doors before reaching staff or the general public. Materials used in vestibule construction should be tested to UL 752 standards for ballistic resistance.
For most government buildings, UL 752 Level 3 provides appropriate protection against handgun threats, which account for the majority of incidents in government buildings.
Bullet-resistant transaction windows with speak-thru systems allow employees to communicate clearly with visitors while maintaining a physical barrier.
Currency trays and package passers allow the secure exchange of documents, payments, and other items without compromising the barrier.
Bullet-resistant doors at back-office entrances, courtroom entry points, and other restricted areas prevent unauthorized access.
Framing must be tested to the same ballistic standards as the doors or windows because standard aluminum or steel frames cannot support the weight of the system or offer adequate protection.
Windows are a frequently overlooked entry point in government facilities, particularly at ground level. Addressing them effectively depends on your building's construction, budget, and risk profile.
Here are the most common options:
Since standard windows weren’t designed to stop bullets, replacing them with ballistic glazing and framing strengthens your building's security.
Glass-clad polycarbonate (GCP) glazing is the most common choice for exterior windows, offering the highest level of protection, up to UL 752 Level 8, meaning it can stop at least five bullets from high-powered rifles.
It can also be insulated and installed into thermally broken frames to help your building maintain energy efficiency.
This is an important consideration in many government buildings where energy codes apply.
Backglazing adds an extra pane of bullet-resistant glazing in front of or behind the existing window, without requiring the original frame to be removed.
This is a cost-effective retrofit option for buildings where full window replacement isn't practical or the budget requires a phased approach.
TSS offers fixed, hinged, and removable backglazing configurations. This option works well in historical government buildings where the original windows must be preserved or where procurement timelines are tight.
SchoolDefender® Glass is ideal for municipal offices where forced-entry protection is the primary concern but ballistic resistance isn't required. This is common for ground-level windows in lower-risk areas.
It’s a laminated glass-clad polycarbonate pane independently tested to ASTM F1233 for forced-entry resistance, meaning it can withstand repeated attacks from sledgehammers, pry bars, and propane torch heat. This glass is engineered to fit most standard existing frames, which makes it a practical option for municipalities working within tight budgets.
For main entrances where you’re concerned about threats from both bullets and forced entry, our Active Shooter Window System offers dual protection.
It’s designed to remain intact after rifle fire and multiple impact strikes, delaying entry while you wait for first responders to arrive.
Security window film can play a role in your security strategy, particularly in low-risk areas where ballistic protection isn't required. However, film is not a substitute for bullet-resistant glass, and there is no such thing as “bulletproof film.”
Film is designed primarily to hold glass together after it has been broken, preventing flying shards and potentially slowing an intruder's entry. It should only be used if that is your goal and if you’ve already determined you don’t need to stop bullets.
In high-risk areas, such as service counters, reception desks and administrative workstations, you may also want to consider adding ballistic fiberglass panels behind drywall to keep bullets from ricocheting.
This is one of the most cost-effective, invisible ways to harden interior areas in government facilities. For municipalities seeking to balance security with a welcoming environment, this is one of the most compelling options available.
Ballistic counters also extend this protection to public service desks, giving employees a place to take cover during a shooting.
For larger facilities, such as courthouses and county service centers, a comprehensive security system extends beyond the interior.
Guard booths at vehicle entry points and employee parking areas should include bullet-resistant windows and be equipped with speak-thru or intercom systems.
Our team has installed custom guard booths for government agencies with demanding timelines, including barrier systems with UL 752 Level 8 glass doors and windows.
Access control systems using keycards allow administrators to grant or revoke employee access to sensitive areas instantly. These systems can generate audit trails, which are valuable for incident review and accountability documentation. Alarm systems can supplement this technology, monitoring for threats and making it easier to identify an intruder as they arrive.
While our team does not install these systems, we can design doors and secure vestibules to integrate with them.
Safe rooms are another consideration, providing employees with a designated shelter area in the event of an active threat. You can retrofit existing conference rooms or interior offices into safe rooms by adding bullet-resistant windows and fiberglass wall panels.
Retrofitting an occupied government building is different from new construction. Here are a few practical considerations to keep in mind:
Bulletproof glass is thicker and heavier than standard glass. Frames that are too narrow or too weak to bear the load will compromise both the installation and the protection level. Backglazing and SchoolDefender® are specifically engineered to address this problem for retrofit scenarios.
Government buildings often include historically significant features, such as plaster walls that can't be drilled, ornate wainscoting, and windows that must remain in place. Our team has experience designing and installing ballistic systems for these environments without compromising architectural integrity.
Here’s a closer look at how we enhanced security at a historic courthouse while maintaining the building’s status on the National Register of Historic Places.
To avoid disrupting public services and employee access, our team regularly installs projects overnight and on weekends. For municipalities with multiple locations, phased installation across facilities allows each location to maintain normal operations throughout the project.
Budget constraints are a reality for most local governments, but several federal and state funding sources are available to help cover the cost of physical security improvements.
For instance, the COPS Office and the State Homeland Security Grant Program have historically provided funding for physical hardening projects.
The federal government recently announced $494 million in funding for the SHSGP for this fiscal year and $584 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency issues a notice of funding each year, and applications are typically due to be submitted through state administrative agencies in October.
We've helped facilities navigate the documentation requirements that accompany public procurement and grant-funded projects, including compliance documentation and RFP-ready product specifications. If your project involves a public bid process, planning ahead for these requirements will protect your timeline.
Securing a government facility requires more than a capable product line. You need a partner who understands public procurement processes and how to navigate grant requirements, and someone with proven experience developing solutions for these unique environments.
With more than 30,000 installations, including state, local, and federal facilities, our team brings a proven process to every government security project. We manage design, engineering, fabrication, and installation in-house, which gives us greater quality control and the ability to manage tight timelines compared to vendors who outsource different parts of the project.
We deliver systems that effectively protect your employees while maintaining the welcoming environment your office needs to serve the public.
Whether you're beginning a procurement process or building the business case for an initial investment, we can help.
Contact us to schedule a consultation and start planning the right security system for your facility.