Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford recommended the city purchase a $1.275 million barrier system to prevent vehicles from being driven accidentally or intentionally into crowds of people during festivals, parades, street markets and other public gatherings.
The money would come from interest earned on the COVID-19 aid that Appleton received through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The 2021 Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy and other crimes that used a vehicle as a deadly weapon have spurred communities to develop strategies to protect outdoor gatherings.
“During the last several months, we have been monitoring a heightening of the general threat environment for large public gatherings,” Woodford said in a memorandum to the Common Council. “While our local, state and federal law enforcement personnel and partners have not identified specific actionable threats directed at Appleton specifically, the overarching theme is concerning and suggests a growing risk to large-scale gatherings.”
In recent years Appleton has positioned municipal vehicles and equipment around the perimeter of special events to prevent vehicle incursions.
While the strategy provides a degree of deterrence, Woodford said such barriers are not purposely built to stop vehicle incursions and can leave gaps if a municipal vehicle is needed for an unrelated emergency. He said a dedicated barrier system would resolve those issues.
Woodford recommended the city purchase the Archer 1200 Mobile Barrier system from Meridian Rapid Defense Group, which is headquartered in Pasadena, California.
The Finance Committee supported the purchase by unanimous vote on April 6. It will be considered by the council on April 15.
“This is the kind of system that really only has to work once to pay for itself,” council member Brad Firkus said. “I think it is a good idea to proceed with this.”
Meridian representatives said they could fulfill the order within 30 days, meaning the barriers could be available by summer.
Appleton would purchase 130 vehicle barriers and eight trailers
Appleton’s system would include 130 barriers, eight drop-deck trailers for transport, one beam gate and one rapid gate to facilitate secure access and exit for authorized vehicles, and associated equipment necessary to place and remove the barriers.
Each barrier measures 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 3 feet high and weighs approximately 700 pounds.
“Their compact, professional appearance is consistent with Appleton’s community character and does not project a militarized or unwelcoming presence,” Woodford said.
The barriers can be deployed rapidly without anchors, electricity or hydraulics and can be placed by a small crew, freeing police and event staff for other duties.
The 130 barriers would protect the full perimeter of the Downtown Appleton Farm Market, which is the city’s largest recurring outdoor public event.
“This baseline deployment will also greatly enhance security of our largest event – Octoberfest – while yielding sufficient inventory to support hundreds of smaller events throughout the year, including community festivals, road races, parades and downtown activations,” Woodford said.
City staff have tested Meridian products at Appleton events, including Mile of Music.
Neenah’s Meridian barriers work well, chief says
Neenah purchased 61 Meridian barriers in 2024 at a cost of $490,000.
“They work very well,” Neenah Police Chief Aaron Olson told The Post-Crescent. “We use them for all of our special events – parades, concerts, farmers markets.”
Neenah’s purchase was financed by a $300,000 federal grant from the Winnebago County Spirit Fund and $190,000 in city borrowing.
Menasha bought 19 Meridian barriers after receiving a $184,957 grant from the Winnebago County Spirit Fund.
“We’ve used them at many public events, and they are very effective at what they do,” Menasha community liaison officer Matt Roe said.
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X at @DukeBehnke.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton mayor recommends city spend $1.3M for mobile safety barriers
Reporting by Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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