Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Police concerned about order to stop weapons screening at Obama rally
Star-Telegram ^ | Feb. 21, 2008 | JACK DOUGLAS Jr.

Posted on 02/22/2008 7:38:23 AM PST by COUNTrecount

DALLAS -- Security details at Barack Obama's rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena.

The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security.

Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on.

"Sure," said Lawrence, when asked if he was concerned by the great number of people who had gotten into the building without being checked. But, he added, the turnout of more than 17,000 people seemed to be a "friendly crowd."

The Secret Service did not return a call from the Star-Telegram seeking comment.

Doors opened to the public at 10 a.m., and for the first hour security officers scanned each person who came in and checked their belongings in a process that kept movement of the long lines at a crawl. Then, about 11 a.m., an order came down to allow the people in without being checked.

Several Dallas police officers said it worried them that the arena was packed with people who got in without even a cursory inspection.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because, they said, the order was made by federal officials who were in charge of security at the event.

"How can you not be concerned in this day and age," said one policeman.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; dallas; leo; obama; tx2008; usss
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-102 next last
To: COUNTrecount
Please note the date on the article you posted. It's from 2001.

NewsMax.com
Monday Oct. 15, 2001; 6:04 p.m. EDT

61 posted on 02/22/2008 8:36:01 AM PST by tgslTakoma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Digital Sniper
Thank God I'm not the only one who immediately thought that!

Funny. My first thought was that Obama, the man who believes that he could have negotiated Hitler out of his madness, wanted the screening to stop because he believes deep down that everyone who attends his rallies must be peace-loving hippies who would NEVER own a gun, let alone bring one to a rally. If you listen to the uber-libs, to solve the world's desire for war, all that has to happen is America has to give up its guns. Then all other nations will rejoice and follow our lead.
62 posted on 02/22/2008 8:51:57 AM PST by Eagle of Liberty (Ownership, Individuality, Freedom, Responsibility - The Backbone of Conservatism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount

I wonder what the costs, local, state and federal are for this extended primary season?? What is the tax payer out to allow these jokers such long and extensive campaigns??

Another reason to disallow any primary activity until after Labor Day, as it once was!!


63 posted on 02/22/2008 8:52:15 AM PST by elpadre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount
Obama may have ordered it himself due to the large amount of Crypts and Bloods being denied access. That raised the attendance from 250 to 25000.
64 posted on 02/22/2008 8:56:48 AM PST by chuckles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: penelopesire

Yes, I remember this incident from 2001. Hillary Clinton was said to have ordered her driver not to stop at this security check point.


65 posted on 02/22/2008 8:58:38 AM PST by TommyDale (Never forget the Republicans who voted for illegal immigrant amnesty in 2007!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount

The left can’t get over their obsession with the idea that all Whites hate all Blacks and therefore Obams is in danger.


66 posted on 02/22/2008 9:01:25 AM PST by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (Damn the left)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount

Great! Now if anything happened it will look like the evil Secret Service let the assassin in to kill the promising Black candidate.


67 posted on 02/22/2008 9:16:00 AM PST by Anti-Bubba182
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount

Since when does the Secret Service give a rat’s hindquarters whether or not there are empty seats for his royal Obamaness? I suspect the order came from Obama or his minions and was given TO the secret service. They’re tasked with protecting him...not making sure there are enough adoring faces greeting him.


68 posted on 02/22/2008 9:16:52 AM PST by jess35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount
Big deal.

Metal Detectors are more of a last line of defense not a first.

69 posted on 02/22/2008 9:20:01 AM PST by Patas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount
The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security.

Did Hillary give the order?
70 posted on 02/22/2008 9:25:53 AM PST by Sig Sauer P220
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Patas

This story was put out to whip up the “chosen one” supporters into a frenzy. The SS wouldn’t make this kind of decision without a direct order from Obmama and you can bet they’ve filed a protest to get it on record. I find it interesting that the Dallas police ran to the media with this particular lie.


71 posted on 02/22/2008 10:02:52 AM PST by jess35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount
Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on.

The Secret Service ordered them to stop screening so that there wouldn't be empty seats? Can't they come up with a better lie than that?

I know a lot of Obama's followers are conspiracy theory nutcases, but that's ridicules.

The order would have obviously have come from Obama's staff. It may have had to go through the Secret Service, and the Secret Service may have allowed the order to be carried out and maybe even passed on the message, but the Secret Service isn't going to shut down security screening on their own.

72 posted on 02/22/2008 10:04:55 AM PST by untrained skeptic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dashing doofus

?


73 posted on 02/22/2008 10:08:12 AM PST by keeper53 (McCain '08)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: dashing doofus

never mind!
need.more.coffee.


74 posted on 02/22/2008 10:10:00 AM PST by keeper53 (McCain '08)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount

Billzabubba Tuggly and Hitlery Rotten Clemson are just testing the waters?


75 posted on 02/22/2008 10:10:33 AM PST by Edgar3 (Steve Spurrier for President!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount

A friendly crowd? Be double alert.


76 posted on 02/22/2008 10:14:10 AM PST by RightWhale (Clam down! avoid ataque de nervosa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: COUNTrecount

Reunion Arena? It would have been the first hit in that place in years.


77 posted on 02/22/2008 10:26:57 AM PST by BigCinBigD (")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PennsylvaniaMom
"the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on."

The SS would never have done this, unless the candidate had already been secured in the place, and the SS already had a secure perimeter around him.

"who in the Obama camp went to the Secret Service and said, 'hey lets speed things up here, loose the metal detectors.'"

Don't matter. The SS doesn't take orders from candidates, their staff, or anyone else. The SS does as they see fit to protect the candidate.

"Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on."

The secure perimeter was already in place. The PD was simply dragging their butts scrutinizing folks for the outlying seats for inconsequential items that could only be used against another outlying seat holder.

78 posted on 02/22/2008 10:32:04 AM PST by spunkets ("Freedom is about authority", Rudy Giuliani, gun grabber)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: F15Eagle

You know, when the Pope visited Los Angeles back in the day, they pulled the same thing. The problem with a late arriving crowd is that once the event starts, they wont allow anyone else to be seated.....so a decision has to be made to get the crowd inside, or have a whole lot of angry people.

of course, if they crowd had not been allowed in, you would have heard an even angrier cry in the media.+


79 posted on 02/22/2008 10:34:51 AM PST by BurbankKarl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: keeper53

Anything but Starbucks. ;-)


80 posted on 02/22/2008 10:36:53 AM PST by dashing doofus (Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-102 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson