Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Security kept tight in area buildings

and Cy Ryan

LAS VEGAS SUN

More than 700 Las Vegas children planted trees today in remembrance of those who died in the Oklahoma City bombing.

And the city's FBI agents and federal prosecutors planned to spend a minute this morning reflecting on the lives of the 168 men, women and children who were killed when a van exploded at 9:02 a.m. a year ago today.

Steps were taken today, like they have been for the past year, to ensure that the type of violence that occurred in Oklahoma does not repeat itself.

Spokesmen for Nellis Air Force Base, the FBI and IRS, the U.S. attorney, federal courthouse and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said their employees were on heightened security today.

Federal buildings throughout the Las Vegas Valley had increased security since the bombing, said Mary Filippini, spokesman for the General Services Administration, which is charged with protecting all federal buildings.

Capitol Police Chief Randal Smith in Carson City said there will be more patrols at state buildings in Las Vegas and Reno.

"Every delivery coming into the Capitol and all the mail will be monitored closely," he said. "The (Nevada) Highway Patrol and local sheriff's offices have been put on alert."

Jim Nelson, U.S. Forest Service supervisor in Northern Nevada, said his agency stepped up its security last year after two bombings in Carson City.

Nationwide, the government has spent $32.4 million on extra measures and is adding $77.5 million worth of equipment to protect its employees and the public, Filippini said.

Among the precautions are additional security guards, metal detectors, required identification and electronic surveillance.

"We came together that day in Oklahoma City to help our fellow workers and their families and we stayed together ... because we all know that the real focus of our security program is to protect people, not buildings," Filippini said. "We know that it must be done 365 days of the year."

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