Citing threats, Iowa Public Safety Department calls for Terrace Hill security upgrade

DES MOINES — Citing “widespread and alarming” threats to public officials including Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said Friday it is upgrading security at the governor’s residence in the historic Terrace Hill mansion.

Security reviews at Terrace Hill have included the need for, among other things, perimeter fencing, the department said in a news release. A wrought iron fence is planned around the Victorian mansion that is on the National Register of Historic Places. No cost was mentioned.

Fencing was recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which performed an assessment in January 2020. Iowa is one of only a few states remaining without security fencing around the governor’s residence.

The foiled attempt last year to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer “has only reinforced our long-standing concerns,” the public safety department said in a statement. Michigan recently installed a perimeter fence at the governor’s residence as part of a security upgrade.

In June, about 1,000 people lined the Terrace Hill lawn in Des Moines as part of a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

In March, an Iowa man was arrested by the State Patrol for allegedly leaving a threatening voicemail message for Reynolds, suggesting she should be hung for “pushing this COVID scam … (and) be put in front of a firing squad.” Harvey Hunter Jr., 48, of Stuart, west of Des Moines, was charged with first-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor, for the message that he left in January.

The governor is a public figure and “we understand that there’s going to be people that are not always happy,” state public safety spokesman Sgt. Alex Dinkla said, but Hunter’s message “crossed a line.”

Security enhancements at Terrace Hill “will benefit all future governors,” Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens said. “Terrace Hill serves as the family home for our governors and their families, and we need to provide the safest environment possible for them.”

The Terrace Hill improvements are part of an overall state initiative to improve the security footprint at state facilities, Bayens said.

Terrace Hill was donated to the state in 1971 by the Hubbell family for use as the governor's residence. The mansion remain open for public tours. They are available at 10:30 a.m. and noon Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations must be made 48 hours in advance by calling (515) 242-5841. For more, see terracehill.iowa.gov/visit.

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