U.S. Has Guard Up Following Paris Attacks, 'First Of A Storm'

With the French still reeling from the coordinated terrorist attacks Friday that killed more than 120 people in Paris, law enforcement officers and counter-terrorism officials in the United States are on high alert for potential assaults on this side of the ocean.

“ISIS is absolutely a threat beyond the region,” Frances Fragos Townsend, the top White House counterterrorism adviser under President George W. Bush, told The New York Times. “We must not continue to assume that ISIS is merely an away threat. It clearly has international ambitions beyond its self-proclaimed caliphate.”

On Saturday, the Islamic State, or ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attacks, calling them “the first of the storm,” according to The New York Times.

In New York City, the NYPD deployed counterterrorism forces throughout the city within hours of Friday’s attacks “out of an abundance of caution.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo reminded New Yorkers to “stay alert to their surroundings, and to report any suspicious activity.” Reports can be made to the state’s terrorism tip line at 1-866-SAFENYS.

In Los Angeles, the Paris attacks prompted police to employ extra patrols Friday at “critical infrastructure” sites and will have extra officers on hand at large public gatherings, a department spokesman said.

“We are aware of the attacks in Paris and the command staff has been alerted,” Officer Aareon Jefferson of the LAPD’s Media Relations section said.

He said there was no known threat to Los Angeles, and the department was not on tactical alert. But department commanders were contacted and officers will be stepping up their presence at critical sites and places where large crowds are gathered -- such as concerts and sporting events.

Still, Friday’s attacks, the worst in Europe since 191 people were killed when commuter trains were bombed in Madrid, combined with recent attacks elsewhere, have made the extra precautions almost automatic.

The mass killings in Paris came just days after ISIS apparently targeted Beirut and downed a Russian passenger jet over Egypt.

Massachusetts State Police have taken several actions in light of the attacks, including stepping up security at Logan Airport and the Massachusetts State House.

State Police said in a statement that there is no intelligence that suggests specific threats to Massachusetts but that caution is necessary nevertheless.

Sports leagues in the United States were also among the first to address security concerns.

“We have increased security measures at our games,” the NBA said in a statement Friday.

No additional security measures are planned at NFL stadiums on Sunday, with the league saying it believes it already has sufficient security in place. Metal detectors at the entrance of all gates have already been part of the game-day experience.

“Security at our games is always at a heightened state of alert,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA TODAY Sports Friday evening.

The NHL, though, said it had sent an advisory to teams to be on “heightened alert.”