By Police1 Staff
WASHINGTON — This fourth of July calls for more police preparation against possible terrorist attacks, NBC News reported.
In lieu of recent vigilante attacks that have left people injured and dead, the NYPD and other law enforcement agencies around the country will be adding extra security around the holiday fun.
Authorities are concerned with a recent call to action during Ramadan from an ISIS spokesperson. Independence Day, with its displays of American patriotism, is a tempting target, NBC News said.
“This year is different from other years because of the real links that come across between ISIS’ fighters on the ground connecting with radicalized individuals or self-radicalized individuals online in the homeland,"Laith Alkhouri, a co-founder of security consulting firm Flashpoint Intelligence, told NBC News.
The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center spoke openly of their concern in a news release last week, CNN reported.
Two of the largest agencies in America, the NYPD and the LAPD have increased security measures this year, CNN reported.
LAPD’s counterterrorism chief, Michael Downing, said to CNN the concern is that many of the extremists being watched by law enforcement are “looking for an excuse to go operational.”
A Homeland Security official told CNN they have bolstered up security at government buildings in the past few months and plan to add additional visible security to key locations.
“There is no specific, credible intelligence to indicate any threats against celebrations over the Fourth of July weekend,” the official said. “However, we have seen repeatedly calls for violence over the past year by leadership and supporters of (ISIS) against members of the military and military installations, law enforcement, the U.S. government, and the American public. These threats are always taken seriously and we continue to work with state and local law enforcement to ensure their safety.”