Local federal buildings heighten security

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the United States continues to beef up federal security at more than 9,500 government buildings across the country, entities in Jacksonville are guarding against terrorist attacks.

News4Jax has learned that security changes to federal buildings locally are taking place.

Most federal employees like the ones who work at the FBI building on the Southside won't reveal what changes, if any, were put in place to heighten security, but at other federal buildings there has been an immediate response.

At the Charles E. Bennett Federal Building downtown, new metal detectors were installed Wednesday morning. Employees who already have a security clearance are required to be scanned before entering.

"Just a clamoring of people going back and forth, checking ID," said Jacksonville resident Jarbis Guthrie. "They were checking diligently."

Guthrie, who went to handle some business at the IRS building, said there weren't any real delays as a result, but instead a sense that security is at the front of everyone's minds.

"Anytime you can keep your guards up that's a good thing, but when you put them down and they infiltrate you, that's when you say we should have been doing it in the first place," Guthrie said.

The heightened vigilance comes in response to continued calls for attacks on U.S. soil from groups like ISIS, a terrorist organization that military officials worry could pose an imminent threat.

Also raising fears are the most recent terror attacks right across the U.S. border. A week ago, a 32-year-old Muslim convert killed a Canadian soldier, then opened fire inside Canada's parliament. Two days before that, Canadian authorities said a "radicalized" Islamist struck and killed a Canadian soldier with his car.

"I'm definitely in favor of it," attorney Howard Grossman said of the heightened security. "My real concern is that I haven't seen any visible presence at our local buildings, and maybe that's a good thing because that means they are doing their job. But if they aren't, we need to make sure there is more of a presence."

"Right now the national threat level hasn't been increased, so this is something that could be temporary or it could be something that could go on for a while," said News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith.

Smith said the Joint Terrorist Task Force is working with local police to identify and eliminate threats if they exist.

"We don't know what buildings and what measures they are taking," Smith said. "Are they checking people longer to get in right now? We just don't know."

The Homeland Security director is also advising the public to be aware and be on the lookout for lone offender attackers on a small scale.


About the Author:

Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.