Photo: Susan Watts/New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News: MANHATTAN, NY – The NYPD is sending at least 200 officers to join the security forces protecting Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20 as Washington braces for violence from pro-Trump extremists, the Daily News has learned.
A police official told The News it got the request from the Metropolitan Police Department and will help secure Biden’s route to the Capitol.
“It’s not a request that we take lightly, and it’s not something we often do,” the source said.
Roughly 6,200 members of the National Guard from six states — Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland — will help support Capitol Police and other law enforcement in Washington for the next 30 days, The Associated Press has reported.
About two weeks ago, each NYPD command was asked to send three officers or detectives to join the Presidential Inauguration Task Force in Washington from January 17 to 21, sources said.
Security forces have been ramping up ahead of the event after Capitol Police failed to prevent a mob of rioters — encouraged by President Trump to confront a joint session of Congress — from pouring into the building as the Senate and House counted the Electoral College votes last Wednesday.
The mob reacted to Trump’s fiery exhortation to “fight much harder” and declaration that, “You’ll never take back our country with weakness.” The speech, however, was met by an anemic law enforcement presence at the Capitol — and frantic, disorganized cries for backup — raising questions about the response.
Four of the rioters died in the siege, along with Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was beaten to death by rioters.
A law enforcement source said the NYPD sent Capitol Police and other agencies an intelligence file of the social media and online threats and chatter in the days leading up to the mob riot at the Capitol.
Members of forums like TheDonald.win and Parler posted at length about storming the Capitol and either “arresting” or executing senators and representatives who refused to buy into Trump’s lies that the election was stolen from him.
Even so, Capitol Police leaders prepared only for a free speech demonstration, and didn’t put up fencing outside the building or prepare any contingency plans, The Associated Press reported.
The law enforcement source said online threats and posts have raised concerns about a similar attack on the inauguration, even though the ceremony will be scaled back because of the pandemic.
“It has to be taken seriously,” the source said.
