Posted on 01/27/2007 12:01:59 PM PST by rhema
The Republican National Convention in St. Paul is more than a year and a half away, but Ramsey County authorities already are scouting places big enough to handle hundreds, perhaps thousands, of protesters and others who might get out of hand.
It will be Sheriff Bob Fletcher's job to hold and process those hauled away during the convention, which begins Sept. 1, 2008. His task could be a big one: New York City police arrested nearly 2,000 people during the 2004 GOP convention.
The jail issue is one of the many security challenges Twin Cities authorities anticipate. Officials toured Boston and New York this week to gain insights from those cities' experiences hosting the Democratic and Republican gatherings in 2004.
"I hesitate a little to say this, but I think we are feeling a little more like we're getting our arms around it," said St. Paul police Deputy Chief Matt Bostrom, who is organizing security preparations.
Minneapolis police Deputy Chief Robert Allen called Bostrom the "quarterback" of the local law enforcement preparations for the convention. He expects the security effort will involve police from across the region.
Bostrom said cooperation among police, fire and emergency medical agencies in the area, a long lead time before the convention and good advice from Boston and New York police have him believing the Twin Cities will be able to handle one of the nation's largest public events.
Even geography is on St. Paul's side, he said. In Boston, the city closed a downtown freeway because it runs so close to the arena where Democrats gathered.
"There, you don't even have to have a good arm to stand outside of Fleet Center and be able to throw a rock onto Interstate 93," Bostrom said. "I see why they had to shut it down."
Xcel Energy Center won't have those issues with the two freeways in St. Paul. And, unlike Boston, St. Paul doesn't have passenger trains running under its arena.
New York City struggled with busloads of arrested protesters, and police faced accusations of being overly aggressive. Some protesters spent days in jail. Hundreds of those arrested sued, alleging civil rights violations, prompting legal fights that still continue over what police records the city must release.
Twin Cities officials said they've tried to learn from the New York experience and will be ready to accommodate protesters — well behaved or otherwise — expected to greet the 2008 GOP gathering.
"If we follow the same procedure for other mass protests, there'll be a remote facility where people will be held for a very short period of time, maybe two to four hours, cited and released," Fletcher said.
Seriously disruptive or repeat offenders may be formally booked and held for an appearance before a Ramsey County District Court judge.
Fletcher said he would need someplace large enough to accommodate a "surge" of hundreds, if not more, arrests.
"But hopefully, it won't come to that," he said.
Protests may depend partly on another "surge" halfway across the globe. If the extra troops being sent by the U.S. to Iraq bring a swifter end to the war there, protests might not be as large or disruptive as they would be if the Republicans were gathering during this year.
"Who knows what'll be going on by then," Fletcher said.
Maybe they could haul them to the Metrodome and make them listen to that damnedable horn for a couple hours and make them walk back.
I suppose that would be called torture tho.
St. Paul? Berkeley and Madison were booked up, I guess?
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