The Obama administration is stepping up security at federal buildings in the wake of a shooting that killed a solider outside Canada’s parliament building.
“I am announcing that I have directed the Federal Protective Service to enhance its presence and security at various U.S. government buildings in Washington, D.C., and other major cities and locations around the country,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Tuesday.
“The reasons for this action are self-evident: the continued public calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on the homeland and elsewhere, including against law enforcement and other government officials, and the acts of violence targeted at government personnel and installations in Canada and elsewhere recently,” he added. “Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance in the protection of U.S. government installations and our personnel.”
The shooting last week in Ottawa stoked a broader debate in Washington about American preparedness for a similar attack, with critics suggesting that current policies were too lax to prevent such an episode.
With the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, security analysts are particularly concerned about homegrown terror threats — and the possible targeting of prominent buildings nationwide.
The Obama administration was initially hesitant to change procedures but has since calculated that a heightened approach is necessary.
“As we have stated in prior advisories, we urge state and local governments and their law enforcement personnel, along with critical-infrastructure owners and operators,” Johnson said, “to be equally vigilant, particularly in guarding against potential small-scale attacks by a lone offender or a small group of individuals.”
