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Security increased in Washington DC on Election Day

Harry November 6, 2024

From the White House to Howard University, businesses are being closed, streets are being closed and security measures are being increased. Although there is no specific threat, Metropolitan Police Department He said he was prepared for any challenges that might arise during election week.

“I want to be very clear: We will not tolerate violence of any kind,” said Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith. “We will not tolerate any rebellion. We will not tolerate the destruction of property. We will not tolerate any unlawful behavior. The criminals will be caught and held accountable,” he said.

Fences and other security barriers are being erected around the Capitol building ahead of the elections to be held in Washington on October 24, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Police officers will be working 12-hour shifts this week and “maybe a little bit longer, depending on what happens, to make sure we have enough officers on the streets and in every corner of our city,” Smith said. Extra attention will be paid to polling places and ballot boxes.

The White House and the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory were blockaded by anti-escalation fencing. Many businesses on and around Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House were closed.

Multiple businesses close to the White House, including a Panera location, have closed in Washington, D.C. ahead of the 2024 presidential election. (Graeme Jennings / Washington Comptroller)

Potbelly is one of several businesses closing in Washington, D.C., in anticipation of the 2024 presidential election. (Graeme Jennings / Washington Comptroller)

One of the places closed ahead of the 2024 presidential election is a local post office in Washington, D.C. (Graeme Jennings / Washington Examiner)

Vice President on election night Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), will attend a viewing party at Harris’ alma mater, Howard University, in Washington. Howard is in the northwest quadrant of the district and many streets were closed ahead of the event.

Workers install safety barriers around Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Sunday (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Anti-scale fencing is seen around Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris will spend election night at her alma mater. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Area ordered construction sites campus in Howard to suspend operations, possibly through Sunday, and to remove “anything that could be used as a projectile within your permitted work area.” There are also many closed roads in the streets surrounding the campus.

Workers use cranes to install various safety measures near Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Sunday (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

A truck with several concrete barriers is seen as workers try to protect Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Sunday evening. (Photo: Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

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On Monday, bomb-detecting dogs roamed among parked cars along the National Mall.

Historically, there was no need for the region to secure itself in this way ahead of a presidential election. But following the deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6, after former President Donald Trump Having lost the 2020 election, the region is on high alert to prevent any post-election civil unrest.