ATLANTA — Only Channel 2 Action News was there when members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force gathered Monday to discuss top secret information from Georgia and abroad.
The FBI's Special Agent in Charge says long before Friday’s attack in Paris, the FBI knew of the potential for ISIS sympathizers in Georgia to become radicalized and had investigations underway.
But now authorities are taking extra precautions.
“We need to make sure that the joint terrorism task force members have eyes on all the threat reporting to make sure that they’re on top of it,” said FBI Agent in Charge Britt Johnson
“Being able to preserve life and to ensure the calmness and the safety of the citizens here in the state of Georgia is paramount,” said Agent in Charge Jeff Roesler with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
[READ: FBI confirms investigation into Georgia connections to ISIS]
Johnson told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne the specially called briefing of nearly the entire joint terrorism task force took place in the SCIF, sensitive compartmentalized information facility, at FBI headquarters in DeKalb County Monday.
No electronic devices were allowed in the highly secured space for discussions at and above the top secret level.
“The JTTF would be about 40 people that would come in today,” Johnson said. “We (will) share information all the way up to the top-secret level without partners.”
Three days after the horrifying attacks in Paris, Johnson says the JTTF was getting the latest intel from Georgia and abroad so each man and woman knows what to watch for.
“(We want to) make sure that they have all information available and that they have everything that they feel like they need to make sure that their departments are up to speed,” Johnson said.
[READ: FBI: Georgia man was ready to fight for ISIS]
“There’ve been a few reports coming in from over the weekend of suspicious activity,” said Roesler.
The GBI says the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center has also gotten reports of suspicious activity occurring before the attacks but reported after when alertness heightened.
“At least some of the suspicious activity reports you’re talking about appear to be substantive?” Winne asked Roesler.
“Yes sir,” Roesler replied.
“We definitely have ongoing investigations on homegrown violent extremists,” Johnson said.
Johnson told Winne he's been in touch with Georgia’s Homeland Security Director Jim Butterworth over the weekend.
Johnson and Toesler told Winne that within the past half hour there are no known direct threats to Georgia.
Roesler indicated there's no known link between any report of suspicious activity in the state and what happened in Paris.
Johnson says citizens should err on the side of safety and call in anything suspicious to authorities.
Securing 'soft targets' across metro
Law enforcement agencies across the metro are also working to secure "soft targets" after the Paris attacks.
Those targets include places like Centennial Olympic Park, venues like the Tabernacle Theater just across the street and all the restaurants and other attractions nearby.
"As the nature of terrorism changes, the nature of our city's preparation needs to change," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed Monday, just days after the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris.
"I'm affected very deeply … but what it causes me to do is to think through and begin to prepare in a more vigorous way for what is a clear eventuality for our city," Reed said.
So it wasn't surprising to see the show of force at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Monday with armed police and K-9 units everywhere.
But while such displays are common at our nation's airports after high-profile terrorist attacks, city leaders say they're actively securing Atlanta's so-called "soft targets," like the Atlanta Streetcar, theaters, restaurants, shopping areas and other large public places.
"The fact is we have an obligation to make sure we continue to have relationships with our partners both at the small venues as well as the large venues," said Atlanta Police Chief George Turner.
At the same time, law enforcement is reminding the public of their obligation to be their eyes and ears.
"It is scary, because you to movie theaters, you go to those places where entertainment and you go to shop and you don't think about that, but when it hits home you start second guessing yourself," said shopper Tracy Morris.
The mayor is warning people they should expect delays at the airport and other places around town given the higher security levels.
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