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If you work in the Loop, particularly in the vicinity of the Kluczynski Federal Building (230 S. Dearborn) you've probably noticed a heavy police presence thanks to President-Elect Barack Obama, who has a temporary office in the building while he waits to move into his new official office. And while the city certainly celebrated Obama's election victory a few weeks ago, more people are growing a little frustrated with immense security.
A few businesses in the area have reported issues thanks to the new security. One UPS store across the street from the Kluczynski Building has reported business has dropped almost 50 percent since Obama moved in.
Customers either don't realize the store remains open or are kept from the sidewalk in front of the store when Obama's motorcade is on the move, Cron said. Employees find themselves under scrutiny, and delivery truck drivers must walk their cargo from a parking spot two blocks away. When Cron's cell phone was seized and erased by an agent when he attempted to videotape the motorcade, Cron thought it was "way over the top."Buildings in the area have also lost their 5 p.m. mail pick-up as a result of security discussions with the Secret Service. While stand-alone mail boxes throughout the Loop still get their 5 p.m. pick-up, the postal service is no longer sending workers and trucks to individual buildings for the final pick-up. Mark Reynolds, a Chicago postal service spokesman, said, "This was in larger part out of security concerns, and then we took a broader look at overall efficiencies we could make." Overall, these are, if nothing else, temporary inconveniences. While we understand the frustration felt by the business owners who are directly affected, once January rolls around, Obama will move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the streets around the Kluczynski Building will return to normal once again.
But the questions surrounding the intense security carry over to the security itself. Yesterday, we told you how Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis swore up and down that only off-duty police officers would work the Obama security detail. Fine. But working off-duty comes with a hefty overtime price tag. According to the Trib, "That overtime tab would run upward of $890,000, with 60 officers covering three shifts and a sergeant for one shift, if all of the officers and the sergeant were at the city's lowest pay grades." The city is working with Illinois' Congressional delegation to secure funding to pay for the security. This is the President of the Untied States, after all, so we're for using as much protection as is necessary. But with the city facing a historical budget crunch that could result in mass layoffs and a cut in city services, we're hoping they're being discerning in how they're spending this money and working hard to ensure the cost doesn't come out of the city's pocket, especially since we were under the impression presidential protection fell to federal agents. And, besides, wouldn't the city be better off using this overtime pay to up police patrols to help fight Chicago's uptick in violent crime? We're just sayin'...
AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
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erased his cell phone???
I don't think so...
that's like the guy at the sears tower telling me that I had to stop taking photos of the entrance.
thanks, but no thanks!
Oh c'mon people.
It's just a temporary situation that will never occur here again.
And when you consider what could happen, can you just put up with a little temporary inconvenience? Yes, it sucks...but it's a one time deal.
Just imagine how inconvenient life will be downtown if the Olympics comes here. Now THAT is going to be one big inconvenient mess for the locals.
That is a pretty lethal weapon that guy is carrying. A M4 Carbine with SOPMOD kit, 4x sight and laser illuminator.
I saw Bush roll down Lake Shore Drive when he was here earlier this year and there were 6 or seven of these suburbans with the back window open like this. One looked like it had an opening in the roof for a pop up turret or the like and there was another SUV festooned with antennas and was likely jamming cell frequencies in the vicinity.
Interesting that there was no talk then of the costs incurred by the city to shut down LSD at 9 am and post hundreds of police along the route.
I'm with JoeM500 on this one. If that actually did happen it would have been all over the news minutes after it happened. Just another urban myth I'm thinking.
The security is just one of the things that come with having a president that lives in an urban area. I'm sure the Secret Service isn't too thrilled with the whole idea either. Most presidents have lived out where Jesus lost his sandals, not in the middle of a city. Like Ingrid said, it's a temporary thing.
I don't believe any of that crap. I am right down the street, at 175 W. Jackson, and the only thing I've noticed is that I can't cut throught the plaza to get to the Subway entrance. I bet that UPS store has been doing shitty business and is going to try and get the Government to compensate him for lost business "due to the Government's activities".
I see it all the time in contruction, businesses that are empty most of the day complain about the construcion activity to get some free money.
my guess is this guy meant that the secret service made him erase just the video, not his entire phone, in case there's some confusion.
Again, my question (and i'm not necessarily attacking here) is the cost of the CPD portion of protection. From what I understand, thanks to a few pals in the fed. gov't, is that the feds are completely responsible for the President's protection. And while having extra CPD protection is great, i simply wonder if this is the proper focus at a time when the city is facing a huge budget crisis and crime is rising throughout the city. if they can afford these extra cops now, why can't we step up patrols or, better yet, more officers? And in the case of securing federal funding to pay for it...i think my argument still applies. Why can't we get federal money for more cops in general then?
Am I missing something here? And I ask that sincerely...
Dopplerd,
The opening on that SUV would be for this monster:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG34mFbdwko
@Marcus:
The problem is, right now Obama is as vulnerable as he will ever be. Once he's "in the pocket" in Washington he's protected by layers of security, both seen and unseen, that would make a paranoid sleep like a baby.
The secret service work a hell of a ground game, and Chicago is not a territory they are used to, so they rely on Chicago cops as a buffer. They keep the general nuttiness to a minimum, know the players and the city well-enough to point out when something is out of sorts. When the president is abroad the Secret Service uses area police and military for the same purpose.
I'd like to see the expense off-set, perhaps out of Obama's still topped off campaign war-chest, but at the same time the notion that something dreadful could happen to the man or those around him is chilling enough for me to see past expense for the next 60 odd days.
is a regular person allowed to go into the building and/or to his office?
actually, that is just an M-16 G.A.U. version.
the thin, collapsible stock and tiny barrel make that thing hard to aim, hence the laser targeting system.
I kind of find it strange that they would be carrying that, the exact same weapon I carried for 3 years (1991-1994).
17 years and no upgrade in weaponry?
oh, the M-4 and the M-16 GAU are the same weapon..
still, we haven't found anything better in 17 years?
oh, I guess the m4 and m-16GAU are the same thing...
but really, 17 year old weapons?
my guess is this guy meant that the secret service made him erase just the video, not his entire phone, in case there's some confusion.
LOL, totally. It's like my coworkers who come up to my desk when the Internet is acting flaky and asks if Firefox is down.
The army is looking for a new weapon of choice to replace the M-4. Recent experience has shown that sandy, dusty areas play worse with the M-4 than other similar small arms. I saw the info the other day at the dangerroom blog.
Dopple, that SUV that you thought could have the pop-up turret? Don't fuck with it.
I had weapons drawn on me for jaywalking from the federal building toward the post office. Guess they got spooked to see somebody running across the street too close to a group of four officers.
Mixed feelings about that one.
quit talking about Operation Treadstone!
I thought the M4 was the new M16. Guess if it doesn't work in the sand...
Other than national pride is there any reason why we don't just make an AK-47 with 5.56mm Nato bore and breech? Those things will fire under the worst conditions.
Seriously, who cares about the cost to protect the next president? The city of Chicago can not afford to have anything happen to him-I don’t mean this flippantly, but if ANYTHING happens to him or someone gets close to harming him, good bye Olympics (and I am NOT pro-Olympics.) Any amount of money is worth it to protect the next president of this country because the alternative is unthinkable. These businesses will make the money back when the Olympics are here and tourism increases b/c Obama is from here.
How much does it cost have a Cubs play-off rally in Federal Plaza? This is City of Chicago money well spent. (Yeah, I work downtown too-hasn't really changed that much.)
This could conceivably have a negative impact on the manpower issue with CPD.
When Officers work OT, most are allowed to select if they want to take it as pay or time due. If all the officers select that they would rather get time due, then they take off for vacation, it could short the districts.
So of course it won't directly yank officers off the street but there is a chance the trickle down could wind up with more one man cars...
Most AK-47's fire a 7.62mm round. I think it may be the same length as an M-60 round. 39mm.
I just heard that the feds are picking up all costs associated with security here. wgn radio was the source.
Ooopps....M-60's fire a 51mm round not a 39mm.