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March 19, 2024

ISIS video catches attention of security in Las Vegas ahead of holiday weekend

Fusion Center Terrorism Talk

L.E. Baskow

The Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center aka Fusion Center is running smoothly and Metro feels that Las Vegas is well protected on Tuesday, May 23, 2017.

Fusion Center Terrorism Talk

Metro Police Capt. Christopher Darcy speaks on their Las Vegas terrorism preparation from the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center aka Fusion Center on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Launch slideshow »

After the recent terror attack in England at the end of a crowded concert and the release of a propaganda video from the Islamic State group calling for attacks in places like Las Vegas, locals and tourists should expect an increased police presence over the holiday weekend.

Speaking from the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center, Metro Police Capt. Christopher Darcy aimed to reassure the public that local, state and federal authorities are taking the threat of a possible attack here seriously and adjusting accordingly, considering the mass-casualty event in Manchester, England, on Monday and the Islamic State video discovered last week.

It’s not unusual for authorities to have increased patrols during major events or an influx of tourists, Darcy said.

The 44-minute propaganda video, which was released through Islamic State online channels, shows images of the Strip, as well as images from other potential western targets, such as New York and Washington, according to NBC News.

Narrating the video is an apparent American jihadist who calls on sympathizers in the U.S. to launch lone-wolf attacks with knives or vehicles, according to NBC.

Local authorities deem the video, as they do other online threats, as credible, Darcy said. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for attacks abroad in which hundreds of people have died in countries such as France and Belgium, and most recently England, where a suicide bomber purportedly blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22, including children, and injuring dozens.

Just last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning about the increased threat of possible attacks by homegrown terrorists, who may be influenced by online literature, a warning the federal government has heeded since 2015.

"We face one of the most serious terror threat environments since the 9/11 attacks as foreign terrorist organizations continue to exploit the Internet to inspire, enable, or direct individuals already here in the homeland to commit terrorist acts," the memo reads.

Besides having a presence at tourist destinations, officers in area commands away from densely populated areas have also been alerted to be on the lookout for suspicious activity, Capt. Darcy said.

The counterterrorism center, also known as the Fusion Center, pairs local law enforcement with state and federal agencies, as well as community partners, such as the roughly 5,000 security personnel on Strip properties, Darcy said. The goal is to exchange intelligence and work in concert on the chance that a threat is identified.

But the public plays an integral role in identifying those threats, Darcy said, imploring the community to be attuned to the "see something, say something" campaign. "I rather respond to a thousand nothings than miss the one something that’s going to lead to us stopping an attack here in our valley,” he said.

The local office of the FBI, one of Metro's federal partners, released the following statement: "Following the attack in Manchester, England, the FBI with other U.S. government agencies is working with international law enforcement, intelligence, and security services agencies to share information and intelligence. For further comment on the ongoing investigation, we would refer you to the lead investigators in the U.K. The FBI routinely shares information with our state, local, federal law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security partners in order to keep our citizens safe from terrorism."

On Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement officers at the Fusion Center, located at Metro's headquarters, clicked through multiple video feeds from public areas and communicated with police on the ground. Multiple screens on a wall also broadcast similar images.

Their goal is public safety and crime and terrorism prevention, Darcy said. “Every day, every person that comes into this fusion center is focused on that.”

To report suspicious activity, call 911 if it's an emergency; 311 if it's not, and to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or crimestoppersofnv.com.