BALTIMORE — In response to the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict by the American military's bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites has prompted police organizations in Maryland and across the country to ramp up security around sensitive locations.
WATCH: Increased police patrols at home as overseas conflict intensifies
This includes places of worship, community spaces, and cultural sites.
Though some have already been on high alert, tensions have been rising in the Middle East.
Anne Arundel County Police shared a statement Sunday on X that while there were no "specific or credible threats," they increased patrols "[a]s a precautionary measure."
WMAR-2 News has confirmed law enforcement in Baltimore, Harford, and Howard counties have ramped up similar measures, though some had already been watching the developments overseas and adjusting their protocols.
The Harford County Sheriff's Office reports it has "since tensions and hostilities in the Middle East have heightened." In Baltimore County, police have been "reviewing daily intelligence briefings."
"People should just be extremely cautious because it's just the environment we live in," James Robbins, Dean of Academics at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., said.
He says Iran has promised to retaliate, though it's not clear what exactly that will look like.
"It's important for people in localities to be aware that Iranian proxies reach even into the United States. They don't have to be Iranian people per se. They could be related groups like Hezbollah, which is very active in this country, or they could be other proxies, just people that they hire," Robbins said.
He also says that the backdrop of a current political climate can complicate things further.
"There may be people completely unconnected to Iran that are nevertheless upset about what has happened and may choose to strike out violently in some irrational way," he said.
Recent acts of political violence by individuals, such as the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Jewish museum in D.C. and the attack on protesters in Bolder, CO, demonstrate this. He says it can be hard for law enforcement to predict these disorganized attacks without tips ahead of time.
Though unlikely Americans will see a direct physical attack, Robbins said a cyber or terrorist attack is not out of the question.
"They're very well developed at cyber warfare. So things like shutting down our power grid, maybe attacking banks, you know, utilizing password dumps like that 16 billion or some crazy number of passwords that was recently leaked," he said.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore shared that he has been in close contact with the Maryland Military Department "to ensure Marylanders at home and abroad are protected" and that he is working with "all levels of government to remain vigilant against any potential retaliatory event, whether cyber or physical."
Robbins says the best way for the conflict to end, at least with Iran, would be for individuals who wish to overthrow the current regime, which might be supported by a clearer message from the White House when previous revolutions have not received support from prior presidents.
"It would be useful if the president would at least say, 'Look, we're not gonna do it for you, but if you do it, we'll support you,'" he said.
To report any suspicious activity—
In Anne Arundel County:
Call 410-222-4700 or email seeitsayit@aacounty.org
In Baltimore City:
Contact 311.
In Baltimore County:
Submit an iWatch Citizen Tip Report or call the non-emergency line at 410-887-2222.
In Harford County:
Submit an anonymous tip or call the tip line at 410-836-7788.
In Howard County:
Call 410-313-STOP or email hcpdcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.