By D. Kevin McNeir
On Thursday, Oct. 31, Howard University (HU) was officially designated as the site for the Harris-Walz campaign’s presidential election night event on Nov. 5.
Even before the announcement, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Pamela A. Smith, chief of the District’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), had already begun to review and ramp up safety measures in order to prevent a repeat of the kind of illegal activity.
On Nov. 4, Bowser and Smith held a briefing detailing the security plan for election week at MPD’s new Joint Operations Command Center in Northwest D.C. – the site where MPD and partnering agencies will monitor special events, the certification of the election and the inauguration of the newly elected president.
Bowser asked for patience from the public, despite one’s political leanings, while the 2024 election results are compiled – a process which could take several days.
“All sides point to a close race that could take time for all of the states to release their declared winner,” Bowser said while adding that as of Nov. 4, D.C. officials had not received any credible threats of violence.
“We are as prepared as we can be,” she said while reiterating the hope that “all people, win or lose, [will] do the right thing.”
Chief Smith said efforts to increase security had already occurred at the White House, at the official residence of the vice president and at other selected areas in the District. And while she encouraged citizens to exercise their first amendment rights, she emphasized that law enforcement officials were prepared to act if necessary to keep citizens safe and property protected.
“Let me be clear, there will be no tolerance for violence in our city, no destruction or any unlawful behavior . . . we will hold all offenders accountable,” Smith said.
While the mayor and police chief believe the city is prepared to handle mobs and marauders, some businesses in the downtown area, including 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest, began boarding up their doors and windows over the weekend prior to Election Day.
Undoubtedly, many in D.C. still have memories of Jan. 6, 2021, the day the U.S. Capitol complex was breached and defaced by a mob attempting to stop the certification of the election in favor of President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris .
During a meeting last week with Bowser, Councilmember Brooke Pinto voiced the concerns of many of her constituents, including business owners who she said have repeatedly called her office to ask if they should board up their facilities.
Bowser, in a video posted by WUSA9, said, “I don’t think they should be boarding up their buildings,” she said.
As an added precaution to maintain safety for D.C. residents, visitors and businesses, MPD officers have been fully activated with all officers working 12 hour shifts throughout the remainder of the week.
Still, with concerns over potential protests looming throughout the District, businesses– particularly near the White House– have already taken action to protect their windows. Layers of fencing have also been installed around some of D.C.’s iconic landmarks.
In addition, as cited in a report by The Washington Informer, private security firms are seeing increased demand as businesses seek to shore up entrances and prepare for contingency plans.
Are the concerns and preparations of local businesses justified?
Eric J. Jones, of the Apartment and Office Building Association told a Washington Informer reporter “it’s just fear” motivating some to “over prepare,” despite assurances from city officials that there’s no need.
Other changes throughout the District include those made by HU and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Officials say they are prepared to manage the crowds expected to converge on Howard’s campus on election night and to mitigate the inevitable surge in traffic.
In a memo to University students, faculty, staff and the media, Howard University President Ben Vinson III shared the following thoughts:
“We are honored that [Vice President Harris] has chosen Howard as the place to potentially make history. Given the unpredictable nature of the outcome of the election, if a candidate is not declared on election night, the campaign will likely extend the space rental agreement for additional days,” Vinson said, adding the event is not open to the public and that both admission and credentials were being handled by campaign officials.
On Monday, Nov. 4, the University transitioned to remote work, which it will also follow on Nov. 6 and 7. The campus was closed on Election Day, Nov. 5. However, residential students still had access to their living spaces, although some auxiliary services, including dining, will be modified.
All D.C. Public Schools were closed on Monday, Nov. 4 for professional development and to deal with school records. D.C. public schools were closed on Election Day in Washington, D.C., as were public schools in both Maryland and Virginia.
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