Abstract: A picket barrier and intrusion sensing system including a plurality of vertically oriented, hollow, picket elements, connected together by means of a horizontal rail that also serves as a communication conduit. Each picket element has disposed therein a picket deformation sensor which is communicatively coupled to a supervised conductive loop contained within the connecting rail conduit. In the event that one or more of the pickets is deformed more than a predetermined amount, the internally contained sensor causes a signal to be generated, transmitted to the supervised loop and in turn sensed by an associated alarm system.