WASHINGTON – A Virginia community has beefed up patrols at all of its movie theaters in the wake of recent cinema attacks in Tennessee and Louisiana.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office has been asked to provide extra patrols to the county’s theaters, says Capt. Jeff Pearce. He says the agency was approached by the theaters in the county and will partner with them.

Pearce says the sheriff’s office will have plainclothes detectives and uniformed officers working off-duty details at the theaters, which will pay for the extra manpower. He says this has been happening for several weeks already.

Reaction from citizens has been very positive, he says.

“They come up and let the deputies know that they really appreciate the work they’re doing out there.”