SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of actions to bolster security in advance of the presidential inauguration to take proactive measures to protect public safety at the State Capitol and across California. 

“In light of events in our nation’s capital last week, California is taking important steps to protect public safety at the State Capitol and across the state,” said Governor Newsom. “Our State Operations Center is actively working with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in assessing threats and sharing intelligence and information to ensure those disgraceful actions are not repeated here.”

The Governor signed a General Order authorizing the deployment of 1,000 California National Guard personnel to protect critical infrastructure, including the State Capitol. The text of the order can be found online here.

Newsom stated that this announcement follows months of work and close collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement to ensure a safe election in which the outcome is respected and that any protests that occur are free from violence.

To prepare for and respond to any credible threats, the State Operations Center will coordinate 24-hour operations and requests for mutual aid for the coming days. The Law Enforcement Coordination Center (LEOC) will be activated to its highest level to orchestrate overall law enforcement and physical security needs. The California Highway Patrol and Department of General Services have installed a six-foot chain-link fence around the perimeter of the State Capitol to ensure the safety of the Capitol grounds.

The Administration, through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol and California National Guard, maintains strong relationships with security and intelligence partners around the country and is continually monitoring for possible emerging threats to the state. 

“We are prepared to address any potential threats that may arise. The Administration is also preparing to provide additional law enforcement resources through the Mutual Aid System as needed.” Newsom said. 

The Governor and his team stated that they are also coordinating closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as the private sector, which includes social media companies. 

Newsom said in the statement that “this is to make sure that their platforms are not used by hate groups or domestic terrorists to organize or spread misinformation, disinformation or propaganda.”