Posted on 08/12/2002 5:46:51 AM PDT by McLynnan
Local law enforcement officers will work overtime to provide security for tomorrow's economic conference at Baylor University, keeping an eye on protest marchers, directing traffic and helping protect the nation's top two leaders.
President Bush's economic forum, which starts at 9 a.m. at the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center, will bring together Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, cabinet members, economists and business leaders.
With so many VIPs zipping through the streets of Waco, local, state and federal officers will be out in force Tuesday morning. That includes officers from the Secret Service, Waco and Baylor police, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the McLennan County Sheriff's Department.
Waco Police Chief Alberto Melis said this visit will be different from Bush's last appearance in Waco a year ago, when he worked on a Habitat for Humanity house.
"As last time, we will be supporting the Secret Service, as well as Baylor police this time on security," he said. "But this will be different from that last visit because then he walked out in the open for several blocks. This event is indoors so obviously he will be less exposed. This time there will be a number of other dignitaries present, and they are going to be moving through our streets."
Police from the neighboring cities also could be called in to help with security and traffic, as during the 2001 visit. Assistant Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman said area departments have agreed to work together on major events when needed, but as of Friday plans were still being developed and the request had not yet been made.
Bellmead Police Chief Robert Harold said he expects his officers to be fully involved with security Tuesday, and he's not worried about overtime costs.
"We are fortunate to have the president living in close proximity," he said. "In the long run it will be a great benefit to our city. So, the little inconvenience it causes is not a concern. We consider it an honor to protect the president."
Waco police would not comment on the number of officers that the department will dedicate to security and traffic surrounding Tuesday's events. During Bush's visit last August, the department deployed more than 80 officers, compared with 25 on a normal morning shift.
Waco Police Department spent $14,390 in overtime and extra benefits expenses for the two-week pay period surrounding the 2001 visit. Most of that overtime was due to the president's visit, said Alice Suter, a budget official at the department..
Melis also said budgetary issues take a back seat to protecting the president.
"I'm very aware of my budget, the city has entrusted me with that," he said. "We are certainly not going to go broke. Like other expenses I will take the money from other areas of the department as it is needed."
Melis pointed out that federal authorities do not reimburse local departments for extra expenses caused by Bush's visits.
All 20 officers with the Baylor Department of Public Safety will be on duty Tuesday, said Baylor Chief Jim Doak.
"All days off are canceled at this point. It's going to be a major undertaking," he said. "Still, we have some things working in our favor. The timing couldn't be better, in every way. We are between semesters, so the students and the professors are away. And as a general rule, Tuesday is the day we normally have the most officers on, so I don't think it will impact us very much monetarily."
At least two groups have said they plan to protest the event. Previous economic conferences elsewhere have seen disruptions involving protesters, notably the 1999 World Trade Organization's 1999 Seattle meeting, when more than 500 people were arrested and the city suffered $2.5 million in damages.
But David Martin, a protest organizer with the San Antonio-based Texas Enron Accountability Campaign, said protesters don't plan to use violence to get their message across. Martin said at least 50 people will march from Indian Spring Park to the Baylor campus to protest the influence of corporate money on U.S. politics. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group is helping organize the march.
"The goal of our march is to creatively express our dissent," Martin said. "We want our message to be heard, but the only threat we are to Bush and Cheney is to expose how they are influenced by corporate crooks."
Doak said he has made it clear protesters will not be allowed on campus.
"If they come onto campus we will apply former President Bush's policy and practice random acts of kindness and we will very graciously ask them to leave," he said. "But if we have to we will remove them from campus."
Martin said he was disappointed that protesters will not be allowed to get closer to some of the events, such as a luncheon, scheduled to take place well inside the campus.
"My concern is sometimes they take security too far and they are trying to silence dissent in favor of a pro-corporate event," he said. "They have set up a designated protest zone well away from the event. It looks like dissent has once again been marginalized."
Random acts of kindness! LOL! In keeping with both Bush41 and Bush43, who are better at loving their enemies than anyone else I know!
Don't 'graciously ask them to leave!' Drag them out by their hair!
"Pro-corporate event." Hrrrmph!
BUMP!
...although...ohioWfan has a good point!
Have a great day, everybody!!!
I agree and regret we don't have a FR chapter in this area to respond. Near as I can tell, there aren't a lot of Freepers in this area.
Or they could round them all up and place them in holding cells at some little known military base, forever.
God bless and scatter that attitude everywhere!
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