The United States Secret Service has arrested one person after scaling a White House fence on Sunday night. 

The person, whose name or gender was not released, climbed the south side fence of the White House around 10:25 p.m. U.S. Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said the person is now in their custody awaiting charges.

Like Us on Facebook

The person was said to be carrying a suspicious package while scaling the eight-foot fence. After a thorough search, the package was later known to be harmless. 

Proposals on how to deter jumpers have been raised, including placing temporary steel spikes to the tips of the perimeter fence.  Once the proposal is approved, the temporary spikes will be put in place, and will remain there until a permanent one is constructed.

The incident was the latest case of intrusion after a series of embarrassing security lapses for the Secret Service.  The lapses had humiliated the agency and prompted President Barack Obama to shuffle the agency's top officials.

Last September, a man with a knife jumped the White House fence, ran into the lawn and into the executive mansion.  In March, two alleged drunk senior Secret Service agents crashed into a White House barricade after coming from a party. 

In recent weeks, the Secret Service failed to stop a Florida man from landing his gyrocopter on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol.   

House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz commended the swift arrest of the jumper.

"Prevention and swift apprehension is the goal. I appreciate those who dealt with the situation, but I want to learn more." Chaffetz said. 

Following the September intrusion, Secret Service director Julia Pierson resigned, and veteran agent Joseph Clancy was appointed to replace her.

TagsUS Capitol, White House jumper, Secret Service, gyrocopter