State office buildings in Anchorage and Juneau closed out of ‘abundance of caution’

Ten state office buildings in Juneau and Anchorage will be closed to the public throughout the week out of an “abundance of caution,” according to a memo issued by the governor’s office.

The buildings will be closed to the public through Thursday, to ensure close monitoring before and shortly after Inauguration Day.

The buildings closed include: Juneau State Office Building, Alaska Office Building, Court Plaza Building, Community Building, some offices of the Dimond Courthouse, Facilities Center, Governor’s House, Behrend’s House and in Anchorage, the Robert B. Atwood Building and Linny Pacillo Office.

Following a violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the FBI warned of potential for armed protests at all 50 state capitols this week. On Sunday, several states saw small amounts of protesters, but there were no violent clashes.

No protests have emerged in Alaska.

Anchorage’s FBI spokeswoman Chloe Martin said in a statement last week that there had not been any specific threats to locations in Alaska.

The Alaska State Capitol heightened security this week and will have additional Alaska State Troopers and police present. The 32nd Alaska Legislature convenes Tuesday.

Anchorage police last week said in an online statement that the department is monitoring hate-based threats and there would be increased police near government buildings and planned events throughout this week.

“I fervently hope that the coming weeks grace the country and our own community with a sense of calm, and that cooler heads prevail in reducing the spread of violent rhetoric,” Chief Justin Doll said in the statement.

Jeff Turner, a spokesman for the Governor’s Office, said Monday he was not aware of any additional threats. A message to the Department of Public Safety was not immediately returned Monday.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the Dimond Courthouse would be closed this week, but only some offices within the building will be closed.