Vehicle barriers coming to Winnetka events

Just weeks after officials approved measures to supplement Winnetka’s public safety, the village’s trustees green-lighted another initiative aimed at bolstering security.

Village trustees during their Tuesday, April 15 meeting OK’d the purchase of eight “high end” vehicle barriers. Trustees unanimously approved the purchase during the consent-agenda portion of the session.

According to village documents detailing the purchase, the barriers will cost upward of $178,000. Included in that price is the cost of a certified training package, a trailer kit, the eight mobile barriers and “all necessary deployment equipment,” a village memo says.

Village officials say in a memo to trustees detailing the purchase that there’s been an increasing number of criminal and terrorist attacks in large public settings. Officials cite the motorist’s attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans earlier this year as an example of an occurrence that emphasizes the “urgent need to prioritize enhanced perimeter security at village events.”

Large gatherings and village events — such as the Winnetka Music Festival, holiday parades and farmers market — continue to grow in popularity and “demand for reliable vehicle mitigation systems has become increasingly necessary,” officials say.

The barriers prevent unauthorized vehicle access but also “continue to preserve an open and welcoming atmosphere for community events,” per the memo.

Winnetka is purchasing the barriers from Meridian Rapid Defense Group following a recommendation from the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security, village documents show.

Village officials say the expense was not part of the 2025 budget but that the recently approved agreement with P4 Security Services is expected to come in at $133,000 under budget. The Village cites those remaining funds and accumulated reserves as the funding justification for the purchase.

As first reported by The Record, Winnetka trustees in mid-March unanimously approved an agreement with a private security firm, P4 Security Services, to supplement its police department and boost its patrol presence throughout the Village. The agreement went into effect April 1.

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