Chicago is on high alert, as local and federal agencies gear up for not just a political convention, but a potential surge of protests and public safety concerns. With the Democratic National Convention (DNC) scheduled in August at McCormick Place and the United Center, agencies including the Secret Service and Chicago Police Department (CPD) are reportedly in full swing preparing residents and businesses for the enhanced security measures.
The Secret Service and CPD have canvassed neighborhoods, issuing guidelines and opening dialogue about the logistic hurdles the event might place on the local community, "As we go door to door, we want to inform residents and businesses that the DNC will be here August 19 through the 22. We also want to learn what we can do to minimize any adverse impacts to their daily routines," Jeff Burnside, the U.S. Secret Service 2024 DNC Coordinator, told ABC 7 Chicago. The agencies also aim to streamline how deliveries and operations can proceed with minimal disruption, a sentiment echoed by CPD's Director of Community Policing, Glen Brooks.
In the shadow of previous mass gatherings that escalated into conflict, such as the 2012 NATO summit and the unrest following George Floyd's murder, officials seem bent on ensuring a smoother operation this time around. As a precaution, top brass from CPD, the FBI, the Secret Service, and other agencies recently held a classified training session to hash out "various hypothetical situations that could occur during the DNC," according to a statement by U.S. Secret Service Deputy Special Agent in Charge Derek Mayer cited by CBS News.
Carrying a hefty price tag for safety, Chicago's safety preparations are bolstered by $75 million in federal funding. This financial support is deemed critical in preventing anything that resembles the previous mishaps of the NATO summit and the turbulent protests. Learning from the past seems the mantra of the day, "There was mistakes made during NATO too, which we have learned from now. There were mistakes made during the George Floyd era. The police department learns from that. We train on that. We get better. We continue to learn how to get better," CPD's Bureau of Counterterrorism chief Duane DeVries stated, according to CBS News.
