By james art 
WASHINGTON (WJLA) — Security, security and yes, more security – with the images of January 6, 2021 still fresh in the minds of so many Americans, Washington DC residents, businesses and employees are taking almost every step to reduce the potential for violence by frustrated followers of one of the main political parties.
Inside the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Joint Operations Command Center (JOOC) on Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said it and several other systems will be activated by the time the president is inaugurated. The facility will be the heart of DC’s security operations, while the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Administration will assist with public communications.
It came as several Washington leaders, including Police Chief Pamela Smith, gathered at the JOOC to try to quell some anxieties ahead of a contentious election cycle.
“While we expect timely results from the D.C. races, the presidential race may take longer than expected,” Bowser said. “All sides point to a close race that could take time for all states to release their declared winner.”
Washington police said they had already increased security in several areas around the city, including the White House and shopping areas. On Monday, Smith encouraged peaceful protests after the election, but said her agency would make sure those protests did not escalate.
Let me be clear, there will be no tolerance for violence in our city, no destruction or any illegal behavior, as I have said before, we will hold all offenders accountable,” Smith said.
“We will not tolerate destruction of property and we will not tolerate threats to public safety and neither will this election process.
The U.S. Secret Service and other federal and local agencies will also be active and working with MPD until the inauguration, planning to request National Guard troops closer to the inauguration, officials said.
However, city leaders said there was no real threat as of Monday.
Before the press conference ended, Mayor Bowser hesitated when asked how she felt about Tuesday’s election.
I feel very sad that this is the state of things… but the way I deal with the anxiety is to work and make sure that we are as prepared as possible and that people – all people, win or lose – act right thing,” Bowser said before praising area workers.
“There’s an election tomorrow and the next day is Wednesday,” Bowser said. “And then there’s Thursday and we’ll still be Washington and I’ll still be mayor.”