Police monitor potential threat in Dover
Rep. Steve Smyk, R-Milton, headed up to Dover for the first day of the new legislative session Jan. 12, not knowing what to expect.
He said he heard about a group planning to show up and protest, but he wasn't sure who was behind it.
“This is not a local group,” Smyk said.
He said he advised some local Second Amendment supporters he knows of to stay away from any planned protest, or else risk being lumped in with a violent mob, similar to the one that broke into the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6.
“All the credibility that [the Delaware group] established would be thrown out the window,” he said.
The attack on the Capitol resulted in several deaths, including a police officer, and the shooting death of a participant. Photographs taken inside the Capitol showed some people wearing commando-style attire while carrying shields, zip ties, and other combat material. Since then, federal investigators and law enforcement have brought charges against more than 100 people who were involved in the attack. According to FBI Baltimore office, a Delaware man, Kevin Seefried, turned himself in Jan. 14 to the U.S. Marshal’s Office in Wilmington. An FBI spokesperson said she believes he is from Laurel. He had been sought by the FBI in connection with a circulated photo of him carrying a Confederate flag inside the Capitol during the siege. He faces charges in federal court in Washington, D.C. According to published reports, Seefried’s son also turned himself in to U.S. Marshal’s.
Smyk said the Delaware Capitol Police, which protects Legislative Hall and other state facilities, has been involved in conversations about security, but he is unsure whether Delaware State Police or the National Guard would provide a greater police presence.
Capitol Police Chief Michael Hertzfeld would not say what groups are involved in a potential armed protest in Dover, or when it might happen. He also would not say whether the Delaware State Police or National Guard would be providing support at Legislative Hall. Photos released Jan. 13 showed scores of National Guard members spread throughout the U.S. Capitol hallways as Congress proceeded with impeachment hearings against President Trump.
“We are currently monitoring available intelligence regarding any threat to the state capitol facility and will maintain an operational posture for any event based on the current threat environment,” Hertzfeld said. “The Delaware Capitol Police are trained, equipped and prepared to meet any challenges that may arise to protect our elected officials, their staff and employees, and anyone who visits the state capitol complex.”
Delaware State Police also did not provide details on what group would be protesting or when. DSP Master Cpl. Heather Pepper said police are monitoring national, regional and local intel, and will deploy assets and personnel as needed.
“The Delaware State Police are working in coordination with the Delaware Capitol Police Department and surrounding police agencies to assist with planning, preparing, and supporting in the event any type of situation were to arise,” said Pepper. “In addition, we continually work with our federal, state, and local partners in preparation for events such as rallies, protests, and demonstrations.”
Dover Police Department Sgt. Mark Hoffman said officers will provide support as needed or requested by Capitol Police. “We remain in communication with partner agencies regarding any potential issues,” he said.
In his weekly press conference, Gov. John Carney said state police and the Delaware Information and Analysis Center are aware of threats and tracking them in state.
“There have been conversations with leaders in the General Assembly about the threats, and it will be something we will be following in the days and weeks ahead,” Carney said.
Lewes Police Chief Thomas Spell offered some insight into the DIAC, describing it as the primary intelligence-gathering agency in the state. “[It] provides daily updates to all municipal partners in the state of the known threats to our area as well as the planned and potential mass gatherings. These are First Amendment protected activities but can be viewed as opportunities for others to engage in illegal activity,” he wrote in a statement released Jan. 12.
Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth, did not respond to the Cape Gazette’s request for comments before its press deadline.
Online platforms in flux
Leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter played large roles in providing platforms for groups to assemble and gather forces. That changed in the past week as radical groups were kicked off Facebook and Amazon servers, pushing many onto lesser-known communication applications which are gaining steam – some platforms with strong backing from others besides President Trump and his followers.
On Jan. 7, billionaire businessman Elon Musk – who recently dethroned Jeff Bezos as the richest man in the world – tweeted out to his followers to “Use Signal,” an encrypted messaging system independent of Facebook, Google, Apple and other big tech companies.
On Signal's website, Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey also supported the platform. “I trust Signal because it’s well built, but more importantly, because of how it’s built: open source, peer reviewed, and funded entirely by grants and donations,” he stated.
Edward Snowden, a tech guru now living in exile in Russia for exposing a U.S. effort to eavesdrop on citizens, says on the website, “I use Signal every day.”
Another messaging site, Telegram, is run out of Dubai by Russians who created the platform. According to its website, it can host groups with up to 200,000 members. After conservative platform Parler was kicked off the Amazon server Jan. 10 in the wake of the U.S. Capitol siege, calls went out for Trump supporters to move to Telegram, according to a Wall Street Journal article.
