Here’s a really good article talking about “signs” (we call them “indicators”) that Baltimore is going to light up like a Christmas tree this week.
If you’ll remember, during Operation Urban Charger, about 90 minutes before the verdict was set to be announced, the National Guard started spinning soldiers out and there was a lot of radio traffic, which indicated that they were preparing for riots. That was our greatest indication. Here are the five indicators observed by the DailyCaller:
- Vacation was cancelled for Baltimore police.
- Baltimore mayor set up an emergency command post.
- Clearing out room in the jails.
- Schools are warning students not to be violent.
- Public transportation are readying alternative routes in the event that streets are blocked or unsafe.
Those are five pretty solid indicators that Baltimore expects and is readying for riots; which is not to say that there will actually be extensive rioting and unrest.
In the event of extensive rioting, I’ll be spinning up the Virtual ACE. (I have my ears on now.) We’ll battle track the riots, just like we did for the Ferguson riots, and get folks some real-time, real-world practice at keeping up with developments in a fast paced threat environment. I highly encourage everyone to find a place in downtown Baltimore to “live” and then practice providing updates to friends or family members on what rioters are doing and their geographic relation to where you “live”.
