What police plan to do about armed men at the polls on Election Day

Clair’s normally sleepy town of Marion was the site of two Black Lives Matter protests where heavily armed militia members showed up in droves, alongside other counterdemonstrators, and engaged in tense standoffs with protesters.

In interviews with NBC News, more than a half dozen law enforcement officials across the country described their preparations for safeguarding the polls and their lingering concerns ahead of Election Day. Pennsylvania has among the most lenient gun laws in the Northeast. Residents can “open carry” a firearm everywhere except in Philadelphia, where a permit is required.

Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Ron Wiles said a 2018 state Supreme Court decision on the issue of guns in schools further complicates the picture for law enforcement. The ruling gave school districts the ability to set their own policies on possessing guns on school grounds, which raises a vexing question for Michigan police officials.

The toxic political climate, combined with the COVID-19 crisis and the national reckoning over police misconduct, increases the pressure on law enforcement ahead of the election, experts say. But law enforcement officials believe the threats will grow as Election Day nears. Concerns are high even in states with strict gun laws and few, if any, active militia groups.

The Los Angeles Police Department has informed its officers that regular days off may be adjusted and work schedules rearranged to ensure maximum staffing levels during the week surrounding the election. “To be clear, the Department of Homeland Security has limited authorities in this area,” said Chase Jennings, a spokesman for DHS.

In Green Bay, Wisconsin, a swing city in a key swing state, police Chief Andrew Smith said his department is preparing for a range of Election Day scenarios but plans to maintain the same public posture as usual to avoid putting off voters. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said the heated political climate has led his office to step up preparations for the prospect of armed agitators showing up at the polls.“We have a plan that if someone is within that range, they’ll be approached by an unarmed person first,” Dutton said, likely an election judge. “We won’t be called right away. But if there is a sense of resistance, we’ll get the call.

Great motivation to vote for BidenHarris2020 for sure.

Trump's 'Poll Watchers'

Why is it a threat. It wouldn’t phase me

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