At a recent National Sheriffs' Association conference in Washington, D.C., Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones expressed grave concerns regarding the integrity of the American election process and broader threats to national security.
Based on briefings with FBI Director Christopher Wray, Sheriff Jones took the unprecedented step of providing disaster preparedness training to civilians in the county.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Sheriff Richard Jones of Butler County, Ohio, is sounding the alarm about national security threats posed by illegal immigrants and potential terrorist activities within the country.
“They're here not to be our friends. Some of them come because they want to come here in the best country in the world. As we see, some come here to harm us. The FBI director told us it's not a question of whether “It's just a matter of when.”
During the conference, Jones learned from federal agencies that there were more red flags indicating potential terrorist activity than there were before the September 11 attacks. With the United States currently engaged in military action in two countries, Jones asserted that some of the thousands of people from 160 different countries who are in the United States may have bad intentions.
MUST WATCH: Ohio Mayor Richard Jones issues stark warning after meeting with FBI director. Chris Wray on Illegal Immigration – Terrorist threats are greater now than before 9/11: 'It's not a question of if, it's a question of when'
Al-Sharif stressed that the threats were not only from traditional terrorist attacks but also from cyber incursions aimed at disrupting local governance and the upcoming 2024 elections.
“We've also been told — this is from the federal government three days ago — that they're going to attack our elections, which they've always done, not 'national elections.' They're going to go to local residents. They've encouraged us to talk to our local election officials and be as prepared as we can for cyberattacks,” he said. Even local ones. “You have to be prepared,” Jones said.
“We have been told that they are coming here again to harm us. Even in Ohio or the United States, we will not be able to call and ask for help from the federal government. They will be busy. The military is not coming. The National Guard is not coming. When the incidents happened, “September 11, it was all police and fire, it was complete organized chaos.”
As the 2024 election approaches, Sheriff Jones unveiled a comprehensive plan aimed at strengthening the ability of Butler County civilians to confront a wide range of threats, from cyberattacks to terrorist infiltration.
The plan is based on disturbing discoveries that foreign powers, most notably China, Iran and Russia, have been relentlessly targeting critical systems in Butler County.
“The Russians attacked our system – our electronic system, our computer system; They hacked it. They are also trying to hack, but not us. “We were down for two months.”
“Now, was that to help us? No, it wasn't to help us. That was to hurt us and cause chaos. As we speak today, the Russians are still attacking our computer system, just as they attack most of your computer systems.”
Sheriff Jones revealed alarming statistics: Chinese cyber agents are trying to hack Butler County's police and fire dispatch systems five times a day. Likewise, he reported that Iranian agents make three attempts every day to penetrate these systems.
“The Chinese have tried to attack our cyber system here in Butler County, which includes everything we send to police and fire, five times a day. I want to repeat that: five times a day. The Iranians are attacking and trying to hack our computer system three times a day. I want to repeat that : Three times a day.
“Now, are they doing this to help us and be our friends? No they are not. They are trying to disrupt everything we do. And in the next election, they are trying to do the same thing.”
In response to these multi-faceted threats, the Butler County Sheriff's Department is taking decisive action.
Main components of the preparedness program:
- Strengthening law enforcement preparedness: Every Butler County police vehicle will be equipped with rifles and bags containing extra magazines, ensuring officers are prepared to immediately respond to any threat.
- Training civilians on disaster preparedness: The ministry launched a pilot program offering lessons to civilians on how to respond to disasters and emergencies. The training aims to provide residents with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect themselves and help others during crises.
- The initial show was limited to 30 participants, and quickly reached full capacity due to high demand.
- Other sessions are scheduled to accommodate more civilians, with the aim of expanding the scope of the programme.
- Federal support and cooperation: The training initiative is supported by the federal government and offered in partnership with Texas Annual, an organization specializing in disaster preparedness training.
- Focus on cyber and physical security threats: The program addresses the dual challenges of cyber and physical security, including the risks posed by legacy infrastructure, such as a 1960s-era network system that is vulnerable to physical and cyber attacks.
- Drone Detection and Defense: Recognizing the limitations of current technology in detecting and neutralizing drones, the Sheriff's Department is exploring partnerships with the private sector to acquire technology capable of identifying and countering drone threats.
- Public awareness campaign: Sheriff Jones stressed the importance of public awareness, urging residents to learn the reality of daily attacks on the community's digital and physical security by foreign actors. The initiative seeks to inform without inciting unwarranted fear or panic.
“We have provided classes to train civilians, and we will start training civilians on what to do when disasters and emergencies happen. Of course, we cannot train the entire country; we cannot even train the entire province. We put this online yesterday, and it is full,” he said. Jones: “We can do about 30 people at a time.”
“We're trying to get him. And the organization that's doing it is Texas […]. They come here. The federal government pays for it. They will train 30 civilians on what to do when disaster says 30 out of 400,000 people is not a lot.
“So, we're trying to get more out of the classroom. I don't want to cause fear. I don't want to cause panic. But I want the public to realize that you're under attack. And when they attack, they're trying to get into our cyber system.”
Watch via MJTruthUltra:
