FBI, federal, state agencies ready to keep the peace on inauguration day nationwide

The FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security and many other partners are expected be in full security mode ahead of the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden Jan. 20.

Typically, that full-scale effort would begin Jan. 19. But, in one of his final acts as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf ordered it to begin Wednesday.

What is sometimes referred to as guns, gates, and guards will come from the State to protect the people and the Capitol Building.

We spoke to Michael F. McPherson, the FBI special agent in charge in Tampa, and his people are fully engaged alongside the State.

“Our role in this area is intelligence collection and dissemination,” McPherson said. “So figure out what we can learn by people, what’s happening on line, collect the information, disseminate it to our partners including our partners up in Tallahassee, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the local law enforcement agencies, so they can prepare as well.”

Last week, people from Southwest Florida traveled to Washington D.C. as part of the protest. Some entered the Capitol.

Our Safety and Security Specialist said there was clearly a lack of preparation last week. That won’t happen again. There will be more fences, more protection and more officers.

“If you do go, and you do cross that threshold, they’ll be plenty of law enforcement there to disrupt you and hold you accountable for what you do,” McPherson said. “This is a very serious situation, and acts of violence will not be tolerated.”

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