Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling had a unified message Thursday as federal officials unveiled maps showing the security perimeters around the venues hosting next month’s Democratic National Convention:
They’re ready for primetime.
“In less than a month, thousands will gather here in Chicago to make their voices heard by participating in the convention,” Pritzker said during a news conference at the U.S. Secret Service offices downtown. “The eyes of the world will be on our great city, and safety and security have remained our top priorities.”
The maps designate two separate perimeters around the United Center and McCormick Place, where Democratic delegates will respectively meet to coronate the party’s presidential nominee and conduct party business.
Snelling stressed that his department is prepared to protect demonstrators’ rights while also tamping down crime and violence.
“It’s important to understand that our job is to uphold the Constitution, and that is exactly what we’re going to do,” Snelling said. “What we will not tolerate is vandalism to our city. What we will not tolerate is violent activity. If we see that, we will put an end to it quickly.”
Snelling noted that officers have been training for the convention more than a year and have “responded very well” to the dozens of protests that have cropped up across the city during that time.
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling speaks about security plans at the U.S. Secret Service’s Chicago Field Office on Thursday.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
They will be assisted by more than 500 officers from outside the city, including from Milwaukee, where some Chicago cops were deployed for the recent Republican National Convention.
During that event, a group of assisting officers from Columbus, Ohio, fatally shot a man blocks from the convention site. Snelling insisted that the officers coming to Chicago are well prepared and will receive up to 10 hours of additional training on CPD’s rules and regulations.
Snelling stressed that other neighborhoods won’t be ignored, and police leaders are preparing by tweaking schedules and canceling some officers’ days off. “We will be there for the entire city of Chicago,” he noted.
Lucas Rothaar, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Chicago office, said there are currently no known threats to the convention in Chicago. But, he acknowledged, “we are living in an elevated threat environment.”
He urged members of the public to report anything suspicious by calling (800) CALL-FBI or emailing tips.fbi.gov. “If you see something, say something,” he said.
The maps of the security perimeter were released by the U.S. Secret Service, which is charged with securing the convention sites.
The agency has faced intense scrutiny since former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, was wounded in a shooting at a campaign rally earlier this month in Pennsylvania. The would-be assassin fired from a roof outside the Secret Service security perimeter.
Derek Mayer, deputy special agent for the agency’s Chicago field office, said the shooting marked “a terrible day for our entire nation.” Mayer added that an investigation is ongoing and said his agency “remains dedicated to transparency and is working diligently to seek answers.”
His comments come just two days after the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who bowed to pressure from federal lawmakers over the assassination attempt.
Johnson stressed that the city will be “welcoming a new breath of life into our nation” by coronating the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Though this is our city’s 26th time hosting a national convention, this moment is like no other,” he said. “Chicago has already cemented itself in history for electing trailblazers to the highest office in the land. And as we prepare for the first black woman to win the Democratic nomination for president of these United States, there is no better place to host this national convention.”
Asked about a potential influx of new arrivals ahead of the convention, Johnson appeared to say that the city, county and state are ready to take in roughly 10,000 more migrants. However, Deputy Mayor for Immigration Beatriz Ponce de León has said the city could be receiving 20,000 to 25,000 more ahead of the convention.
Johnson appeared to ask for mercy from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been busing migrants to Chicago and other cities to protest the country’s immigration policies.
“We have right now currently roughly 5.600 new arrivals that are still in our shelters,” he said. “Our collective resources are prepared for as many as 15,000, but we certainly hope that Gov. Abbott finds Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior and [doesn’t] do that.”