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Unprecendented security prowls boston Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040726-122306-6014r.htmhttp://washingtontimes.com/national/20040726-122306-6014r.htm
Unprecedented security prowls Boston
By Frank J. Murray
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
BOSTON — Police brandished machine guns on downtown streets, jet fighters patrolled overhead and soldiers guarded press offices as Boston yesterday began hosting its first national political convention amid unprecedented security for an American political gathering.
The city that once stood alert with "one if by land and two if by sea" looked ready on both fronts — from uniformed troops swarming outside the Government Center subway station to battle-ready boats cruising the harbor that surrounds much of the convention zone.
Most of the 4,964 delegates and alternates flooding into town for the first sessions today have yet to confront the specter of camouflaged soldiers patrolling elevated train tracks above the newly paved expanse where delegates will be bused.
"For all the things you can see, imagine what you can't see. Double that, and that's our capability. ... I wouldn't want to mess with us," Coast Guard Petty Officer Lisa Hennings told CBS News.
Police officers derided as "overkill" the tight protective net around historic Bullfinch Triangle, but the Secret Service was calling all the shots at the first Democratic National Convention designated a "national security event."
In an interview with ESPN during a Red Sox-Yankees game last night at Fenway Park, Mr. Kerry was asked about the security in Boston.
"I'm absolutely confident about the level of security. I don't think we have a thing to worry about," he said.
Outside the gates of the FleetCenter, officers listened to complaints about a credentials mix-up that kept hundreds of journalists cooling their heels outside for a time.
One officer in civilian clothes supervising searches at "Magnetometer Village" said officers require people entering with opened bottles to sip from them as proof they are not dangerous. A team of U.S. Capitol Police who appeared to be wearing body armor carried automatic weapons outside the pricey Boston Harbor Hotel.
Large trucks and heavy equipment blockaded streets in neighborhoods surrounding the Fleet Center, where Democrats will nominate John Kerry and John Edwards in their bid to remove President Bush from the White House.
Republican delegates meet in New York from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 under a security blanket that, if anything, promises to be even tighter. New York has 36,500 total police officers, compared with just more than 2,000 in Boston proper.
Since the end of Friday's rush hour, Beantown crews have been completing the process of shutting down key streets, isolating 18th-century buildings in neighborhoods where families are being asked to cope for a week, and stringing fence lines whose gates are protected by ram-proof barriers.
"These next few hours certainly will be important as different units and agencies are settling into their roles," Massachusetts State Police Sgt. David Paine said. "But it's nothing new to these people. They're ready."
Not far from Paul Revere's grave and the Old North Church, technicians were monitoring air quality to guard against chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. Bomb-sniffing dogs were on the job as well.
Emphasis on security appeared to have scared Bostonians away, and the city was quiet for a sunny summer day tailor made for crowds of tourists.
State officials prepared for this afternoon's shutdown of Interstate 93, which passes about 10 yards from the Fleet Center. Trains that normally pass beneath the hall were detoured or canceled for the week.
During the convention, a six-mile stretch of I-93 will be shut down from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
"It is a massive undertaking and we're trying to do it in a way that has the least impact on commuters," said Mariellen Burns, spokeswoman for the group coordinating security and transportation for the event. "But there's definitely going to be inconveniences. We know that."
The Federal Aviation Administration banned all corporate and private flights in and out of Logan International Airport during the convention as well as traffic helicopters that could help motorists maneuver around the blockages.
Only regularly scheduled commercial flights, and flights for law enforcement, military and emergency medical teams can come within 10 miles of Logan Airport.
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