WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former West Palm Beach Deputy Police Chief Rick Morris says Wednesday's deadly truck attack in New Orleans is the kind of incident that keeps law enforcement up at night.
“Right now, they can use anything for a weapon,” Morris said, adding that the attack will place local law enforcement on the lookout for those ready to weaponize cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks.
“It’s a weapon of convenience. It can be blended into any group, any neighborhood,” Morris said. “They’re not suspicious. There’s laws protecting searches of those vehicles. You know you have to have probable cause.”
Motor vehicle attacks often go in waves.
In 2017, a man killed a woman protesting a right-wing rally in Virginia. Later that year, a self-admitted terrorist in New York City killed eight cyclists and runners driving a pick-up truck on a bike path.
Less than two weeks ago, a driver in Germany rammed into a Christmas market, killing five and injuring more than 200.
“It’s a scary situation,” said Morris, who notes that year-round outdoor events in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast present potential targets.
“You’ve got to be concerned with every event right now,” warned the former deputy police chief. “Because all it takes one person with mental illness to react.”
Morris said our region has the advantage of its experience and technology that come with protecting President-elect Donald Trump.
Despite the experience and technology, Morris said the best defense is an alert public where if people see something, they say something.
