Every available Philadelphia police officer working Tuesday night for Harris-Trump debate, sources say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A large portion of Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood is closed for the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center Tuesday night.
The fenced perimeter is similar to the set-up from Pope Francis' visit at the 2015 World Meeting of Families, and then a year later when the Democratic National Convention came to town in 2016.
Some people in the city Tuesday thought the security was excessive.
"One thing that upsets me is the full-on barricade," Douglas Ortelere, of Rittenhouse Square, said.
The enclosure keeps crowds and possible protesters blocked from the presidential debate inside the National Constitution Center.
"Maybe sadly it is sending the right message, but sadly, still we need, apparently, something like that. So God forbid harm doesn't come to Ms. Harris or even Mr. Trump," Ortelere said.
"It's appropriate after what happened with the Trump assassination attempt," Miles Davis, of North Philadelphia, said. "You never want to take chances, you need presidential security -- whether Republican or Democrat."
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel wouldn't specify the exact number of officers working, but sources said every available member of the force is on Tuesday night.
"That requires a significant level of deployment, so yes, we've had to cancel days off in some regards to accomplish the task that we need to do," Bethel said.
Protesters are expected, and a number of groups have alerted the city they'll be in the area.
"We've been dealing with many of the protest groups already," Bethel said. "They've shown themselves to be really here to uplift their message and not gain any negative behavior. This is an opportunity for the city to shine."
