San Francisco police step up security following Canada shooting
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- In light of the Canadian Parliament shooting, the FBI has alerted state and local authorities around the nation to be vigilant.
San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr says he received a notice from the FBI asking them to raise his department's alert posture and to remain vigilant. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the Canadian Consulate in downtown San Francisco.
Throughout San Francisco, 850 sheriff's deputies guard City Hall and other critical buildings. There is ongoing training for incidents like the one in Canada.
"There are protocols for law enforcement, that prepare them and (help them) remain vigilant for active shooter incidents, that must be followed, some of those include rapid threat location and identifications," explained Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi.
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Since 9/11, the Bay Area has prepared for terrorist threats by stepping up security at key places like BART and SFO, and with impromptu drills.
The FBI is examining the shootings in Canada. They say there is no specific threat to the United States, but in a statement they said, "The FBI has reminded our field offices and government partners to remain vigilant in light of recent calls for attacks against government personnel by terrorist groups and like-minded individuals."
Rick Smith is a former FBI agent who now has his own private investigative firm. He says based on his experience, the FBI is likely sharing intelligence with local law enforcement about the Canadian shootings.
"They'll probably tell them what they can in terms of what happened so they can strengthen security in government buildings all over the country. It's on going right now," explained Smith.
He says we can't be 100 percent vigilant, but can come pretty close.
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