From squad cars checking in on polling places to officers being on call for the possibility of unruly election-related protests, law enforcement agencies across Southern California have preparations in place for any potential havoc on Election Day and beyond.

Some police agencies have been working on their plans for the better part of a year.

Agencies in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties said they have received no word of planned protests. But, officials added, they will be out when needed to allow people to peacefully vote while also protecting the public should any protest become potentially troublesome.

“We know that there’s a high level of concern and anxiety regarding the presidential election specifically, so we as a department have been preparing for close to a year,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. “The mission has been very clear — to ensure a secure, safe and fair election.

“The 45 independent chiefs in our county are all aware, no matter how big or small their departments are,” Luna continued. “If things go really bad, we’re all going to rely on each other.”

Across the four counties, collaboration and intelligence sharing have been key, officials said, adding that resources will be available to help other jurisdictions should they need assistance, even potentially crossing county lines.

Federal agencies have told Luna’s department to be prepared, the sheriff said, because of “international actors in countries that don’t like us that are putting out false information that heightens the sensitivity.”

“Our politics today are very polarized,” Luna said, “so that concerns us.”

Law enforcement agencies monitor social media platforms, and officers on their beats talk with people about any word of possible gatherings, officials said.

Sgt. Frank Gonzalez of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said the May pro-Palestinian protest at UC Irvine was an example of how the Sheriff’s Department can team up with others in the county to elevate police staffing. The Orange County district attorney’s office ended up filing misdemeanor charges against nearly 50 participants of that protest.

“In the case of demonstrations or large-scale events, we can assemble a mobile field force team,” Gonzalez said.

His department is not bringing in additional personnel in the days following the election, but it will be fully staffed and able to pull officers from other areas to form mobile teams should they be needed.

In Huntington Beach, where political gatherings near the pier are common, the Police Department will have extra patrols around polling and ballot collection sites to ensure the safety of voters, police spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla said.

“In anticipation of potential activity, our specialized units, including those trained in mobile field force deployment, are on standby, ready to support our patrol teams in maintaining public safety and upholding the right to peaceful assembly,” Cuchilla said.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said it would have “extra patrols leading up to and after the elections” but declined to offer details. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office also declined to offer details but said “ensuring the safety of our community is our top priority, and we believe that maintaining a level of discretion is essential in this regard.”

Protests have occurred in the past in Riverside. Officer Ryan Railsback, a spokesperson for the city’s police, said officers are trained on how to respond to and handle such events.

“You may not even see a big presence from us,” he said. “We changed the way we handle that because we know the presence of police may escalate one side.

“It doesn’t mean we’re not out there watching it,” Railsback said. “(The protesters) are out there doing what they’re allowed to do … and if it gets (unruly) we’ll handle it.”

In the wake of the last presidential election, supporters of then-President Donald Trump upset over Joe Biden’s win rioted at the U.S. Capitol.

So far, more than 1,400 people, many from Southern California, have been charged with a federal crime tied to the riot and more than 900 have been convicted. That same day, in downtown Los Angeles, several hundred gathered, largely Trump supporters, and six were arrested.

In L.A. County, Luna said the department will be at an “enhanced state of readiness,” with resources and equipment poised in the event a protest gets out of hand.

Recent events, such as last week’s celebration of the Dodgers’ World Series win in East Los Angeles that turned ugly, provided practice for what deputies could potentially face, he said. In that event, an L.A. Metro bus was set ablaze and destroyed, while elsewhere people looted stores.

Luna said those who want to hold a protest where his department patrols can always call the Sheriff’s Department ahead of time to coordinate.

“If we work together, we’ll facilitate the demonstration, as long as it’s peaceful,” the sheriff said. “If (you want) to get your message out, we can help you, but if you’re going out with the focus of destroying property, hurting people or looting, we have zero tolerance for that.”