Philadelphia police under pressure ahead of President Biden's visit, Made in America Festival
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Made in America Festival is just two days after President Joe Biden's visit to Philadelphia. It's jam-packed several days for Philadelphia police.
Labor Day Weekend will take on the most appropriate meaning. There will be a lot of work for the Philadelphia Police Department and other law enforcement securing the areas of the presidential visit on Thursday and then over on the Parkway for Made in America.
A military aircraft circles Center City. Philadelphia Police Department commanders and federal agents tour Independence Hall.
An inspector with the Philadelphia force says the department is in full preparation mode for a presidential visit Thursday, an event that will be only the beginning of a long weekend of activities and festivals in the city.
The buzz was obvious, even to these tourists from Germany.
"Yes, we've seen probably some Secret Service and security guards walking around making plans, trying to secure the area," Lisa Li said.
"They told us it gets pretty rough with traffic and nobody gets in, nobody gets out, so maybe we are lucky," Matthias Friedrich said.
The city is hopeful to move past startling images from the Parkway on the Fourth of July. Crowds numbering in the thousands fled the area after two police officers were shot.
"Even after July 4, is the right posture to be continuing on with these events?" said.
"Unless there is a really serious tangible threat that's been verified, I think you have to continue to live and enjoy your city," Joe Sullivan, former deputy commissioner and counterterrorism expert, said. "You just can't stop from doing everything."
Despite the July 4 chaos, the chief inspector of the Philadelphia Police Department's Homeland Security Unit that like every other year he's done Made in America, he expects this year to run smoothly.