Mike Wolanin | The Republic Vehicle barriers sit on a trailer in a Columbus Department of Public Works building in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, January, 2, 2025. The barriers are used by the Columbus Police Department to protect crowds at large public events and gatherings from motor vehicles.
City officials agreed to purchase another batch of barriers aimed at preventing vehicle-ramming attacks and other types of incidents.
The Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety gave permission to Mike Richardson, the city’s director of security and risk, to finalize an invoice with Meridian Rapid Defense Group Sales LLC to buy eight Archer 1200 Barriers and some associated cables that go between them for $60,124.26.
The city bought their first eight in 2024. The barriers weigh about 700 pounds and are designed to stop vehicles from plowing into crowds.
The additional barriers will allow safety officials to spread them around in case the city has multiple events going on, Richardson said, adding that they plan to try to obtain a grant to purchase eight more, bringing the total to 24.
“Obviously the more the better from the things we’ve been seeing going on around the country,” the former police chief said.
The barriers have been used for several events over the past couple of years, including the Bicycle Station’s Criterium Race, Hot Rods and Rock and Roll, Mill Race Marathon, Ethnic Expo and Festival of Lights Parade.
The barriers are stored by the city’s Department of Public Works and brought out by its employees whenever needed.
Richardson also noted that the barriers come with a tool that allows officials to move them quickly out of the way in case a response from first responders is needed.
CPD spokesman Lt. Skylar Berry previously described the utility of the barriers.
“They’ve done some testing, and in one of their tests, they had a full-size sedan going 31 miles an hour … and the sedan was stopped (by the steel barriers) in less than 18 feet,” Berry told The Republic earlier this year. “So, using those at whatever events that we can to try to make sure that we’re preventing any vehicles from getting in whenever possible. …(Mayor Ferdon) wanted to make all of our events as safe as possible, because we have a lot of events in the city.”
In addition, the city of Columbus has a community event review group — which includes CPD, Columbus Fire Department, the city’s engineering department, Columbus Regional Health, among other departments and agencies — that meets to discuss safety planning for any event in the city that closes a road or some sort of city property, Berry said.
