Coast Guard Increasing Patrols For NATO Summit
CHICAGO (CBS) -- If you start noticing more boats patrolling Lake Michigan and the river - it's because of the NATO summit, as you might have guessed.
Some people have already noticed it: Coast Guard boats out along the breakwaters in Lake Michigan.
U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Brian Dykens said they are staging more boats in the area for the NATO summit.
"Between May 18 and 22, we'll be patrolling the area surrounding Burnham Harbor, Monroe Harbor, the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, along the coast of downtown Chicago," Dykens said.
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Crews will be looking for anything suspicious along the lakefront, such as explosives.
The area of greatest attention will be the water close to McCormick Place, where the summit will be held.
"That's security zone alpha, and no vessel traffic will be allowed in Burnham Harbor during the 18th through the 22nd of May," Dykens said.
The lieutenant said the Coast Guard will bring in the USCGC Hollyhock, a 225-foot cutter normally stationed at Port Huron, Michigan, at the southern tip of Lake Huron.
The Hollyhock will be placing buoys on the lake in the security zone near McCormick Place to let boaters know they can't enter the area.
