Law enforcement agencies across Florida are operating under a heightened alert as a result of Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon.
Two bombs killed three people and injured more than 170 on Patriots Day, a block apart near the event's finish line in Copley Square. No one has claimed responsibility, but a terrorist attack is one of the possibilities.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says investigators across the state are studying intelligence from the bombings and right now there is no indication of any threat against Florida.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger says FDLE has intelligence gathering operations around the Sunshine State that share information with local, state and federal law enforcement authorities.
The so-called fusion centers were created following the 2001 terrorist attacks. Plessinger says they operate around the clock and are always looking for threats.
Fusion centers gather, process, and distribute crime information, as well as Homeland Security data.
Our fusion centers have been actively monitoring intelligence and monitoring the situation to make sure that there are no threats against Florida and right now there doesnt appear to be any ..." said Plessinger, "but we are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to do so. Law enforcement across the state is operating on a heightened alert looking for anything suspicious.
She added, We pass information from between local law enforcement to national, state and local and it helps law enforcement agencies get information that they need when theres a possible threat.
David Yon, president of the Tallahassee-based Gulf Winds Track Club said about 25 runners from the Tallahassee area participated in the marathon.
The wife of one runner had waited for hours at the spot where the bomb went off, said Yon, but left just before it exploded. (She) had actually stood in that spot for about three-and-a-half hours and then when her husband, Alan Cox, had gone by the finish line, she left to go meet him in the family area. She said she wouldve been right in the area where the bomb went off.
Yon said his first response was to find out if friends were safe.
You cant help also but think about what motivates somebody to do something like that. Of course, there are no answers for that. And then you start thinking about how it might change a race like Boston. Your worst fear would be they would cancel it or decide you cant do events like that anymore.
Yon made an impassioned speech. Dont let someone take something away from you thats special. Fight to keep it and hopefully the people that did this will get caught, punished, and well find better ways to keep it from happening in the future. But regardless, just dont let anyone take something as special as Boston away from us.
Dave Heller is a Tallahassee freelance reporter/videographer.
