Security Remains High In Philadelphia, Tri-State Area Ahead Of President-Elect Joe Biden's Inauguration
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Security remains high in Philadelphia and elsewhere around the tri-state leading up to Joe Biden's inauguration. Eyewitness News reporter Howard Monroe has more on the steps being taken and how leaders plan to heal the nation.
"The work we're doing to secure the commonwealth and the work we're doing to secure the country is sadly necessary," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said.
Despite no major incidents over the weekend security forces remain on high alert leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
"Right now it's a chess game and we're in it for the long haul to protect the assets of the commonwealth," Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter said.
In Harrisburg Sunday, barricades lined the streets, and national guard troops, state troopers and police officers remained on duty in anticipation of crowds that never showed.
"We are here to do the right thing. We appreciate the second amendment rights, we appreciate people speaking their minds but we also appreciate doing it in an orderly fashion," Carter said.
Security forces were ramped up as rumors swirled of armed protests being planned for Sunday at all 50 state capitols. In Dover, Chopper 3 captured just three demonstrators on a march, holding American flags.
Meanwhile in Trenton, downtown was quiet as security forces shut down the area surrounding the capitol complex.
"We don't want to see a repeat of what happened at the U.S. Capitol and we've asked all hands to be on deck," Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said.
All these precautions are to prevent similar scenes as to what happened last week in Washington, D.C. when Congress was stormed and five people died included a Capitol police officer.
While the additional security forces will stay on duty at least through the inauguration, local leaders say the work to repair the country will last much longer.
"We can have spirited disagreements about tax policy or economic development policy or how to fund our schools. Those are good honest disagreements that perfect our union ultimately but we can't do that with a basic understanding and a basic agreement on a set of facts," Shapiro said.
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