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Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder announced on Tuesday, Jan. 12 that they will be increasing police patrols in specific sites across the area until Biden’s inauguration next week.
Similar measures are likely to be taken in Suffolk, though no official announcement has been made by officials as of Tuesday.
Curran stressed that there are no specific threats in Nassau County, but they are doing so out of precaution amid the political unrest that has gripped the nation since November’s presidential election.
“We know there are protests planned … we’re all reading it in the news, that there’s going to be protests at all 50 of the state Capitols, so we want to reassure our residents that there’s no credible threat here in Nassau County,” Curran said.
“Our police intelligence unit continues to monitor everything,” she added. “Whether it's on social media, or elsewhere, we’re constantly working with our federal partners, the FBI, etcetera, to monitor any chatter on any possible event that could happen here.”
There will be an increased police presence at houses of worship, government buildings, hospitals, schools, transportation, police, fire departments, and other locations that have been identified.
Ryder said that there have been some anti-government protesters threatening some statehouses and governmental buildings across the country, and that some rogue agents local could potentially act on the rhetoric, prompting the precautionary move by police and the county.
"This is no different than the game plan that terrorists use when they try to stoke those lone wolves and bring them to act out,” Ryder said. “We’re on top of that information. Intelligence is only good if you act upon it. We at Nassau County are acting upon it."
According to officials, they will be monitoring at least 486 houses of worship, 130 government buildings, 71 fire departments, 59 transportation centers, 56 school districts, which each have multiple school buildings, and 11 hospitals.
“We want to be that calm voice of reason to take that deep breath and let you know: ‘we got you,’” Curran said. “Our number one concern is at the local level. We’re not talking about politics or worrying about who you voted for - our number one concern is your safety.
“That will always be our number one concern no matter what is swirling around the rest of the country,” she added. “It’s not about politics. It’s about your safety, your security, and it’s just common sense and us doing our job.”
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