Colorado National Guard Troops Will Help Secure Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day

Capitol Breach
Patrick Semansky/AP Photo
Preparations take place for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the building.

Gov. Jared Polis is sending more than 200 Colorado National Guard troops to the U.S. Capitol next week for the inauguration of Joe Biden.

"I sure hope it's just a visibility thing. I hope that people will see the police department, the police resources there from several different police departments and that will be a deterrent to the kinds of actions that we were all devastated to see occur in our nation's Capitol last week," Polis told Colorado Matters.

Up to 21,000 National Guard troops from across the country have been authorized to assist law enforcement with security at the inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 20, according to the Military Times.

The troops will help ensure safety and peace during the proceedings, Polis said.

At Colorado's Capitol, the legislature will not be in session on Inauguration Day and additional safety measures will be taken, Polis said. Last week, the FBI sent a memo warning of possible armed protests at all 50 state capitals leading up to the inauguration.

"We will work closely with Denver police department in the general area of jurisdiction around the state Capitol," Polis told Colorado Matters. "They're in conversations and we're part of it, our state troopers with Aurora, with other nearby jurisdictions, to make sure we have the law enforcement resources we need to keep the peace and ensure a peaceful transition of power in Washington."