Fresno Police are on heightened alert on Inauguration Day, watching for any potential threats with protests. Speaking in front of City Hall Tuesday afternoon, Police Chief Paco Balderrama said the department hasn’t received anything credible to investigate, but teams remain in contact with the FBI to monitor intelligence. Balderrama said street closures are in effect Wednesday with officers concentrated in the downtown area.
“I can tell you that there’s very few people not working tomorrow. And we do have extra reinforcements not just in the downtown area, but city-wide,” he said.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer joined city and interfaith leaders Tuesday to condemn the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. They called for peace and calm on inauguration day. Dyer even urged people to take the day off from social media.
“Because, what we do know is there’s going to be a lot of rhetoric on social media tomorrow. Ultimately it is going to cause an incredible divide in our communities and stir up emotions,” he said.
Dyer invited several local faith leaders to speak. Ryan McNeal from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pushed for a message of unity.
“I pray that we will be able to come together, not just as One Fresno, but as one race, one humankind, that we can be both human and kind to one another,” he said.
Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer also urged the community to remain calm on inauguration day. From May to December of last year, her office filed complaints in 21 criminal cases connected to civil unrest.
