Sergeant at arms urges lawmakers to be 'continuously aware'

The House sergeant at arms is urging members of Congress and staff to contact their local law enforcement and to “be continuously aware of your surroundings” following the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) Saturday in Tucson, Ariz.

In an e-mail to all House staff sent Saturday night, the sergeant at arms, Bill Livingood, said that while the Capitol Police department is monitoring its security posture, “there is no indication that this incident is part of any larger threat against Congress or has a nexus to terrorism.” He reiterated that the Capitol Police are involved in the local and federal investigation into the Arizona shootings, which left Giffords in critical condition and killed a federal judge.

“I strongly urge members and staff to be continuously aware of their surroundings and to immediately report circumstances that appear suspicious to your local law enforcement agency and then to the U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section,” Livingood wrote.

He said each member’s district office should contact local law enforcement to ensure authorities are aware of the member’s district office and residential address.