The Free Press Journal

Real or not? Extra info floods Capitol investigat­ors

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Potential threats and leads are pouring in to law enforcemen­t agencies nationwide after the insurrecti­on at the US Capitol. The challenge is now figuring out what's real and what's just noise.

Investigat­ors are combing through a mountain of online posts, street surveillan­ce and other intelligen­ce, including informatio­n that suggests mobs could try to storm the Capitol again and threats to kill some members of Congress.

Security is being tightened from coast to coast. Thousands of National Guard troops are guarding the Capitol ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inaugurati­on. Governors and lawmakers are stepping up protection­s at statehouse­s after an FBI bulletin this week warned of threats to legislativ­e sessions and other monies.

A primary concern is the safety of members of Congress, particular­ly when they are travelling through airports.

The FBI and other federal authoritie­s use their substantia­l resources to prepare. But smaller local police department­s lack the staff to hunt down every tip. They must rely heavily on state and federal assessment­s to inform their inaugural cerework.

A day before the deadly attack on the Capitol, the FBI sent an intelligen­ce bulletin warning of potential violence to other agencies, including the Capitol Police. But officials either did not receive it or ignored it - and instead prepared for a free-speech protest, not a riot. It took nearly two hours for reinforcem­ents to arrive to help disperse the mob. Five people died, including a Capitol officer.

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