CPD and feds meet to discuss Chicago's security plans for DNC
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As Chicago prepares to host the Democratic National Convention in August, safety experts from across the country met with police leaders on Thursday to walk through security plans for the United Center and McCormick Place.
Police hope to avoid any conflict, destruction, or criminal activity during expected protest rallies when top Democrats and thousands of delegates arrive in Chicago in August to formally nominate Joe Biden for a second term as president.
With $75 million in federal funding coming to help offset the costs of security measures in and around the United Center and McCormick Place, leaders from the Chicago Police Department and other city agencies met with representatives of the FBI, Secret Service, and FEMA for a tabletop exercise to plan for as many worst-case scenarios as possible.
"This tabletop will allow us to test and consider unplanned possibilities," said U.S. Secret Service DNC Coordinator Jeff Burnside.
Police top brass, first responders, and federal authorities met for classified training on Thursday, aiming to keep everyone safe during the DNC.
"Training such as today's will help us prepare for various hypothetical situations that could occur during the DNC," said U.S. Secret Service Deputy Special Agent in Charge Derek Mayer.
The Secret Service's job is to protect and patrol everything that goes on inside the DNC, while CPD is in charge of everything outside.
The goal is to learn from challenges faced during the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago, along with the violence that swept Chicago and other cities following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
"There was mistakes made during NATO too, which we have learned from now. There was 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," said Duane DeVries, chief of the CPD Bureau of Counterterrorism.
DeVries said all CPD officers have received First Amendment rights training; an attempt to strike a balance between policing and use of excessive force.
"We understand First Amendment. We welcome First Amendment activity and demonstrations, as long as it's peaceful. We're not going to tolerate violence or destruction of property," he said.
"Our goal is to create a security plan for this summer's DNC that will minimize disruptions to Chicagoans, their lives, while ensuring a secure environment for those attending the convention," Mayer said.