DC Residents Concerned Inauguration Violence Will Spill Across The City

DC residents and businesses are concerned that law enforcement will be focused on inauguration without sufficient availability to respond to areas outside of the red zones.  The Metropolitan Police Department will be fully active leading up to and on inauguration day, backed by members of the National Guard and other law enforcement officials.  People will go through screening in order to enter established red zones, they will not be allowed to bring bicycles into the area.

Residents of Washington, D. C. expressed their concerns about how officials will secure neighborhoods and businesses leading up to the inauguration on Jan. 20.

Community members said they are worried about how officials will secure neighborhoods, businesses and places of worship during activity surrounding the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, speaking in a call hosted by the Executive Office of the D. C. Mayor featuring Director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Christopher Rodriguez and Acting Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee on Friday evening.

“I think it’s important for the public to know that this security event, the overall responsibility of it falls on the shoulders of the secret service, but the MPD is very much a close ally in terms of making those things happen that need to happen to ensure that we have safe communities here in the district,” Contee said.

“We’ll have a full activation of our department, we’re requesting resources, law enforcement agencies are confirmed to come in from all over the country to support this effort in addition to that we’ll have the support of guardsmen” from around the U. S., Contee added.

The head of the Secret Service’s DC office says agencies “are following credible threats of violence in neighborhoods around the city,” and DC police chief says “residents who live near the Capitol may need to show ID to the National Guard to be allowed into their neighborhood” https://t.co/hA01QSZxKu

In order to access a red zone perimeter, people will be screened by magnetometers and physical bag checks, according to Contee. Bicycles will not be permitted and the roads within red zones will be closed to traffic.

A resident named Diane from Ward 1 expressed concerns about “potenti... (Read more)

Tweets mentioned:

https://twitter.com/chrstphr_woody/status/1350194099010347011

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