WASHINGTON 鈥� After last week鈥檚 terror attacks in Paris and a recent ISIS video seems to threaten terror attacks on D.C., Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier says that her force is reacting in ways the public can see and in ways they can鈥檛.
鈥淎 lot of our security measures are very visible, and they鈥檙e designed to be just that,鈥� Lanier told 草莓传媒 on Thursday.
鈥淧eople feel safer because we have a much stronger visible presence,鈥� she says.
This includes officers in 鈥渄ifferent types of posts and different security postures across the city.鈥�
The force also has 鈥渁 lot of things in place that are not as visible, that are very effective.鈥�
In New York, police have announced they鈥檒l hire 1,000 to 1,500 more people to fight against terrorism.
While Lanier says she’d love to hire 1,500 more officers, D.C. isn’t New York.
“We have a flexibility that a lot of other jurisdictions don鈥檛 have.鈥�
The presence of lots of different law enforcement agencies in the nation鈥檚 capital gives the D.C. police 鈥渟o many partners,鈥� Lanier says.
Her force is a partner in six or seven joint task forces 鈥渢hat we can ramp up very quickly and move out in periods of elevated threat,鈥� she says, adding that police have done just that several times over the past few years.
The most important thing the public can do, Lanier says, is follow the old rule: If you see something, say something.
鈥淚t really is the most important rule for the public,鈥� Lanier says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really just 鈥榖e vigilant鈥� 鈥� not alter [your] way of life, but make sure you鈥檙e paying attention to things going on, and communicate that with police.鈥�
The police go out to various parts of the District a couple of times a year to educate people on how they can help, Lanier says, and they might take 鈥渆xtra trips to educate our business community, our hospitality industry, our service workers, our government agencies, to be our eyes and ears for us.鈥�
While a recent ISIS video means that people need to be on their guard, Lanier says it鈥檚 all part of life in the nation鈥檚 capital.
鈥淲e鈥檝e all known since 9/11 that Washington is a target 鈥� for many, many years.鈥�
The current situation is 鈥渘ot much different from what it has been over the past several years. We know we鈥檙e a target.鈥�
