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Alameda County sheriff focuses pre-inauguration security on airports

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Published  January 15, 2021 2:25pm PST
Inauguration Day
KTVU FOX 2

Bay Area infrastructure sites on heightened alert ahead of Inauguration Day

Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern says while there is no specific threat associated to Bay Area sites ahead of Inauguration Day, security measures are heightened.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Bay Area law enforcement agencies are looking at a number of sites that may be potential targets in their security planning leading up to inauguration day.

In a one-on-one interview, Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern told KTVU that airports are among the sites law enforcement are focusing their attention on, even though there was no specific threat made against any particular Bay Area site. 

"The airport is of a concern because people who are part of these organized groups plan to travel," Ahern said, despite Oakland International Airport being quiet on Thursday. "Are they packaging their weapons to travel with them? Are they sending their weapons ahead of time? So we want to make sure we're paying attention, very close attention." 

And very close attention is also being paid to what's considered critical infrastructure, including bridges, dams and federal buildings. 

"We are at a high level of concern for what's going on in conversations, social media and groups that can organize very quickly and cause a great deal of disruption," Ahern said. 

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is the Bay Area regional law enforcement coordinator which covers 16 counties: from Monterey to the Oregon border.

Ahern said his agency is ready to respond and it is in charge of mutual aid 

"Any time one entity gets to a situation that overwhelms their agency, they simply make one phone call to us. We provide them their assistance," he said.

In Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood, the owner of Huarache Azteca Restaurant, said businesses in the area have been vandalized during previous unrest.

"Whenever there's a protest or any event, there's always a concern as small business owners," said Mayra Chavez, whose family has owned the restaurant for twenty years.  

She said she plans to take precautions.

 "We board up the whole restaurant so the front windows and everything," she said. "That's what we do." 

Ahern said he's in daily communication with law enforcement ranging from local police chiefs to the FBI.  

But so far, there has been no request from other law enforcement agencies for help with staffing. His deputies are ready to go, though, should the call come.