SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore says although there have been no reported threats or planned riots set to take place leading up to the Presidential Inauguration, all local law enforcement is prepared.
"We have the mechanisms in place, the structures in place to get those pieces of intelligence into the big mix, so that they can be properly analyzed to determine if we do have a problem. So far we have not seen anything in San Diego,” Gore said.
The safety preps come a week after the deadly riots in Washington D.C. at our nation's capital, and following dueling protests that escalated into violence in Pacific Beach over the weekend. Sheriff Gore says officers often have to play the role of mediator.
"Trying to keep the far-right groups from the far-left groups apart as they demonstrate and yell at each other,” Gore said.
San Diego Police declared the PB protests an unlawful assembly after it turned violent. San Diego Police Chief Dave Nisleit warned via a statement in part that "if demonstrations do occur, violent actions will not be tolerated."
In Washington D.C., as many as 20,000 National Guard troops have been deployed to the capital. In Sacramento and other state capitals throughout the country, additional security measures are in place after the FBI announced armed protests are being planned in all 50 states starting Saturday through January 20th.
San Diego County district attorney Summer Stephan says her office is working alongside local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure if something were to happen here they will be ready.
“Even if you don't hear about a direct threat, but there is a general threat to attack every state in the United States, that is close enough to home for us and we want to be prepared for it,” Stephan said.
For eight months the "Carmel Valley For Equal Justice" organization protests every Saturday in support of Black Lives Matter and social justice causes. Organizer Nick Gekakis along with his wife says that the message for possible demonstrators is one of peace and safety as COVID-19 case numbers surge.
"One message we have to preach I think is unity, where possible, engage with the other side peacefully and constructively, but if you can't engage with them peacefully, then don't engage with him at all,” Gekakis said.
Sheriff Gore says if anyone knows of any possible threat to always report it.
“We don't know if something violent might pop up in La Mesa like it did back in May or elsewhere, so all law enforcement is working together so do report anything," Gore said.
