Practically from the moment Chicago was announced as the host for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, conversations have swirled around security and crime prevention, but the city's top cop says his department is ready for the challenge.
During a sit-down interview with NBC Chicago's Stefan Holt, Police Supt. Larry Snelling said the department has gleaned plenty of lessons from recent years and is prepared to take on the challenge of security at the convention next week.
"It's not 1968. Our officers are trained differently," he said, referencing the infamous DNC where anti-war protesters and police violently clashed in Chicago. "The department has evolved. Our officers have evolved. We've been training for this event for over a year, so the preparedness is what's important."
That preparation has been stepped up with the awareness of potential protests targeting the convention, including demonstrators looking to voice frustration with the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Questions have also arisen in the aftermath of high-profile incidents like the 2020 protests and looting following the killing of George Floyd, but Snelling says the department is more prepared and being on the front foot will be critical toward quelling any issues that arise during the convention.
"These were felonious acts by people who converged upon this city to destroy it," he said of the 2020 incidents. "We're not going to tolerate that, and our officers are trained to respond to that this time. This is not just a spontaneous event like the event that occurred in 2020. We've prepared for this and we're ready to go out and defend our city."
Snelling also pledged that his department would continue to work to keep neighborhoods safe even as officers take on additional challenges related to securing perimeters around the United Center and McCormick Place during the convention.
"This is our city, and we have to keep the city as a whole safe," he said. "So it's not just about the DNC. We have a plan in place with each district commander across the entire city. An emergency response plan, a proactive plan to deal with the possibility of any crimes that are going on in these neighborhoods. So we will still see our officers in the neighborhoods."
The Chicago Police Department will be far from alone in working to secure the DNC sites. Numerous police departments from Illinois, as well as the Milwaukee Police Department, will participate, along with federal law enforcement as the DNC is designated a "national special security event."
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A total of 17 different agencies, including the Secret Service, will help secure areas around the convention sites.
Protests are expected to be held at a pair of Chicago parks, including Union Park and Park #578, both located within blocks of the United Center. Designated protest routes have also been laid out, according to officials.
Federal and local law enforcement officials have repeatedly said they seek to protect First Amendment rights for protesters but that they are prepared to act in the interest of public safety if required to do so.
To that end, officers participating in DNC security have gone through training on both the First and Fourth Amendments, as well as de-escalation tactics in the lead-up to the convention.
Snelling says the collaboration with law enforcement at all levels has given him plenty of confidence in putting on a safe event in Chicago next week.
"Behind the scenes, there's a lot of work being done collaboratively to make this a success," he said. "So not only is the Chicago Police Department supporting everyone in the city, we've got a bunch of people in the city supporting the Chicago Police Department in our efforts to keep the city safe. With our federal partners, state, local, I just can’t say enough about the collaboration here, and this is going to be a safe and successful event."
