Some who live near United Center feel inconvenienced by tight Chicago DNC security restrictions
CHICAGO (CBS) -- With less than two weeks to go before the Democratic National Convention, those who live within the secure perimeter around the United Center and McCormick Place still have questions and concerns about getting to and from their homes.
The City of Chicago and the U.S. Secret Service on Wednesday tried to ease some of the anxiety leading up to the convention.
The Secret Service said a week from Wednesday, staging will begin for some of the fencing in and around the United Center and McCormick Place. The buildout for the security fence will begin Friday night of next week and continue through next weekend, ahead of the convention.
Once that happens—and the DNC rolls into town—shooting hoops at the Henry Horner Homes at 1815 W. Monroe St. won't be so peaceful. The Chicago Housing Authority building—which is all that remains from what was once a vast public housing development in the area—sits steps from the United Center and within a restricted area marked red on a perimeter map.
"I'm just not ready for the inconvenience; for them telling me that I have to have my ID to get in and out of the place that I pay rent," one woman said.
"I don't know what I'm expecting," said Martrice Allen. "I don't want it to inconvenience me."
Allen and other residents at Henry Horner said they were given a special ID that will get them in and out of the secure checkpoints.
"Only people who can get in here are residents, and you have to have your picture ID with the address that you're going to," said Allen.
Residents discussed the issue with law enforcement agencies at a virtual meeting that was open to the public Wednesday night.
"We spent some time over at the Henry Horner homes," said Chicago Police Director of Community Policing Glen Brooks. "We are aware of concerns over there, and we're trying to work through them."
Also at the meeting, Joel Heffernan, assistant special in charge for the U.S. Secret Service in Chicago, said passenger cars will be allowed to pass on the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) near McCormick Place—but commercial trucks will be rerouted. The Stevenson marks the southern end of the red restricted zone in that area.
Back at the United Center, people who enter the vehicle screening zone—marked yellow on the perimeter map—will only be checked for one thing.
"One of the things we saw in Milwaukee was people would show up to a checkpoint, see a K9 and a handler, and get concerned that they were looking for other things," Heffernan said. "We are only looking for explosives."
In recent weeks, the City of Chicago has been busy beautifying certain areas—and even removing a homeless encampment on Desplaines Street near Roosevelt Road ahead of the 50,000 visitors expected for the DNC.
Residents near the United Center said the recent improvements to their complex are no coincidence.
"They painted the outside, they gave us a new basketball court, they fixed the playground, and they just did the lobby," said Regina Freemon.
Freemon said she was sure the convention was why.
"They wouldn't have did it if this wasn't coming," she said.
Meanwhile, with just days to go before the DNC, the FBI named a new special agent-in-charge of the Chicago office. Douglas S. DePodesta was named to the role after serving most recently as the interim special-agent-in-charge of the field office in Memphis.
DePodesta was first assigned to the Chicago Field Office when he joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002—first working narcotics investigations. He later worked on a range of investigations in the Chicago FBI Technical program, and was prompted to supervisor of the program in 2013.