The Secret Service and Chicago police are increasing security measures in anticipation of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which takes place from August 19th to 22nd.
The heightened security training includes lessons on First Amendment rights, managing violent protests, and coordinating mass arrests.
Last week, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle inspected the primary venues, the United Center and McCormick Place, to ensure readiness for the event, which is expected to attract around 50,000 attendees.
On Monday, June 10th, Director Kimberly Cheatle held a private meeting with nearly 100 agents at the Secret Service’s Chicago field office. This office is also responsible for Milwaukee, where the Republican convention will take place in July, prompting preparations for both events.
Cheatle, in an interview, explained that law enforcement is gearing up to handle various potential scenarios.
Cheatle noted, “The lone gunman. You’ve got folks who are radicalized, you’ve got demonstration that may pop up and, you know, obviously, we hope they remain peaceful here, but they could, you know, turn violent.”
Security coordination includes a command center at the Chicago Police Department’s Crime Prevention and Information Center, with participation from various federal agencies.
The preparation extends to monitoring threats from both domestic and international extremist groups, with intelligence bulletins indicating calls from groups like al Qaeda and ISIS for attacks on United States soil.
Jeff Burnside, the Secret Service coordinator for the convention, expressed the gravity of the situation.
“I think everyone has a sense that the threats are real. This is not an academic exercise that we’re running through. We are planning for real-world possibilities,” he stated.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling reiterated the commitment to peaceful management of protests.
“We don’t want to have conflicts with people if we don’t have to. We don’t want to clash with people if we don’t have to,” Snelling said.
He added, “If people come here to express themselves, by all means do it, but do it according to the law and do it peacefully. It’s that simple. Once you start to break the law, then … we have to restore the peace.”
