Officials Say They’re Working to Keep Democratic Convention ‘Safe and Secure’

The Secret Service and the Chicago Police Department held a press conference in Chicago on Tuesday to discuss plans for ensuring security during the upcoming Democratic National Convention (DNC).

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said the Secret Service and local police were working closely with the FBI’s Bureau of Counter-Terrorism and Joint Terrorism task forces for the event. Security teams will use the city’s security camera system to monitor ground activity, he said.

“We have eyes and ears on everything we possibly can,” he added.

Derek Meyer, the deputy special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Chicago field office, said the convention has been designated a “national special security event.”

“That delegation allows for a ‘whole-of-government’ approach,” he said. “It means that the federal government has its full complement of resources and works with its state and local partners to ensure a safe and secure environment for residents and delegates in the entire city of Chicago as the DNC opens on Monday.”

Scheduled for August 19–22, the convention is expected to encounter a significant number of protesters. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is coordinating a demonstration against Israel’s war in Gaza. The pro-abortion and pro-LGBT activist group Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws also plans to protest, along with dozens of other groups.

Mr. Snelling said that security teams did not want to interfere with the protestors’ First Amendment rights, and that designated protest locations would be “within sight and sound” of the actual convention.

“We get them there safely, give them the opportunity to have their voices heard, be seen. And then hopefully when it’s all over, everybody disperses safely,” he said.

At the 1968 Chicago convention, protests against the Vietnam War eventually led to riots; one person died and hundreds more were injured. Mr. Snelling mentioned those riots, but pointed out that there has been a total of 26 national conventions for both parties since then without incident.

“I want to reassure everyone that we will have resources in every single neighborhood. … We have a city to protect, not just around the venues covering the Democratic National Convention,” he said.

“So we will not deplete resources from our neighborhoods to simply put them in the area where the Democratic National Convention is being held.”

Reporters asked about the effectiveness of the Secret Service in light of the near-assassination of former President Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13. Mr. Meyer said the two events are very different.

“Obviously, all of us in law enforcement are trying to get better every day. But as far as comparing Butler to a national special security event, you can’t compare it.

“We’ve been planning for this convention for well over a year.”