Security ramps up in Washington, D.C., on Election Day – Washington Examiner

Local and federal law enforcement bodies in Washington, D.C., are increasing security for Election Day.

From the White House to Howard University, businesses are boarded up, streets are closed, and security measures have been increased. While there has been no specific threat, the Metropolitan Police Department said it is preparing for any challenges that could arise during election week.

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

Fencing and other security barriers are going up around the Capitol ahead of the election in Washington on Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Police officers will be working 12-hour shifts this week and “depending on what happens, maybe a little longer to ensure that we have enough officers on the street and every corner of our city,” Smith said. Extra attention will be paid to polling locations and ballot drop boxes.

The White House and the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory have been blockaded with anti-climb fencing. Many businesses near the White House on and around Pennsylvania Avenue have been boarded up.

Multiple businesses close to the White House, including a Panera location, have boarded up in Washington, D.C., before the 2024 presidential election. (Graeme Jennings / Washington Examiner)

Potbelly is one of several businesses that have boarded up in Washington, D.C., in anticipation of the 2024 presidential election. (Graeme Jennings / Washington Examiner)

One location that has been boarded up before the 2024 presidential election is a local post office in Washington, D.C. (Graeme Jennings / Washington Examiner)

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

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

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

The district ordered construction sites on campus at Howard to suspend operations possibly through Sunday and to remove “anything within your permitted work site that can possibly be used as a projectile.” There are also a number of road closures on streets surrounding the campus.

Workers use a crane to place various security measures near Howard University on Sunday in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura / Getty Images)

A truck is seen with various concrete barriers as workers seek to secure Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Sunday evening. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

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On Monday, bomb-sniffing dogs made their rounds through cars parked along the National Mall.

Historically, the district has not needed to secure itself in this way ahead of a presidential election. However, after the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol after former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, the area has been on high alert to curb any post-election civil unrest.