(NewsNation) — Federal agencies are on alert in Washington, D.C., as the city sets up security ahead of several events coming up in the next few weeks, though there are no current threats to the district.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Friday the FBI put out a notice encouraging all state and local officials to be mindful that there could be copycat perpetrators that might want to conduct similar attacks to those that happened in New Orleans and Las Vegas.
Fencing is also back up around the U.S. Capitol on the first day of the new session and ahead of the election certification Monday, the four-year anniversary of the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
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For the first time, the Department of Homeland Security has designated Congress’ certification of presidential electors on Jan. 6 as a National Special Security Event, the same level of protection as inaugurations and the Super Bowl.
The D.C. Metro Police Department said at a press conference that preparations have been underway.
“Since the incidents, we have begun actively working with our local federal and state partners to share intelligence and provide ongoing support for the investigation. As of this moment, there are no known credible threats in D.C. but out of an abundance of caution, we have heightened our security postures in the city in light of recent events,” a representative said.
There are two more high-profile events coming up after Jan. 6: the official state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter on Jan. 8 and the inauguration on Jan. 20th.
On a call, Kirby said he didn’t want to get into specific force protection measures following the events in New Orleans and Las Vegas but said the security of the inauguration and the people attending it remain a high priority.
Kirby also said they are keeping the Trump team informed across agencies following the two attacks on New Year’s Day and ahead of the inauguration.
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Within 48 hours of the terrorist attack involving a vehicle in New Orleans, police arrested a man driving along the sidewalk just outside the U.S. Capitol.
It happened just before 10 a.m. on Thursday when officers spotted a car that had been driving along the sidewalk and into a grassy area near Third and Constitution.
The man was charged with reckless driving, but Capitol Police say it wasn’t a threat to the Capitol complex.
Security was already heightened at the time ahead of the swearing-in of members today and the House speaker vote.
Police said driving on the sidewalk is never a good idea, especially anywhere near the Capitol building.
