MILWAUKEE — Six days after violent unrest broke out in the U.S. Capitol, the FBI remains on alert, working to deter any future unrest across the country.
Those efforts have begun in Wisconsin after a dark day in American history. Five people were killed.
The FBI is warning of other armed threats at fifty state capitols. In Madison, boarded windows are now up as a precautionary measure.
In Milwaukee, police released this statement:
“The Milwaukee Police Department is unaware of any credible threats to the City of Milwaukee at this time but is preparing in the event of any potential threats. For security reasons, MPD cannot discuss any operational plans.”
Those words were echoed by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who also said he couldn’t get into too much detail for safety reasons.
“I don’t think we have seen any credible threats, but we are preparing for what may happen,” Crowley said.
Douglas Parisi has more than twenty years of experience in law enforcement. TMJ4 News asked him about what went wrong in Washington on Jan. 6. He said having several lines of defense on the grounds would’ve helped.
“What they didn’t have was the resources to reestablish those lines,” Parisi explained. “Okay, so if I get past these guys. I will have to deal with those guys. So those were some of the things the Capitol didn’t have readily available and because they were limited on manpower.”
As for any protesters, Parisi says words matter in keeping the peace.
“Tone down the rhetoric and say what they really mean. Like, if you’re talking about letting my voice be heard, then say let my voice be heard. Don’t say take back anything. Don’t ‘show ‘em whose in charge.”
Parisi also says creating large perimeters around buildings like the state Capitol would be helpful. It would create a separation point between peaceful protesters and trespassers which ultimately, help officers deal with smaller numbers of disrupters.
