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.
NewsMax.com
Monday Oct. 15, 2001; 6:04 p.m. EDT
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!!
Yes, I remember this incident from 2001. Hillary Clinton was said to have ordered her driver not to stop at this security check point.
The left can’t get over their obsession with the idea that all Whites hate all Blacks and therefore Obams is in danger.
Great! Now if anything happened it will look like the evil Secret Service let the assassin in to kill the promising Black candidate.
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.
Metal Detectors are more of a last line of defense not a first.
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.
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.
?
never mind!
need.more.coffee.
Billzabubba Tuggly and Hitlery Rotten Clemson are just testing the waters?
A friendly crowd? Be double alert.
Reunion Arena? It would have been the first hit in that place in years.
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.
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.+
Anything but Starbucks. ;-)
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