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Political conventions to get unprecedented security

When Republicans come to town this summer for their national convention, the only security measure that might be lacking around Madison Square Garden is a moat.
The national political conventions here and in Boston, the first since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, will have some of the tightest security ever seen for such events, including crowd-control barriers, bomb-sniffing dogs and an army of police and federal agents.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has said the conventions are on a short list of potential high-profile terrorist targets this year, along with the dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington next weekend and the June meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Georgia.

"We're confident that the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service will create a security plan that will allow the Republican National Convention to conduct its business in a safe and orderly manner and at the same time allow other individuals to voice their opinions," said Rori Smith, a convention spokeswoman. The event is to run from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.

But the security preparations have spawned rumors and conflicts as threats of disruptions for commuters and businesses have emerged. Demonstrators opposed to the war in Iraq and other Republican stands on issues also have railed against the security plans, saying their free speech rights are being curtailed.

New York officials say they won't allow United for Peace and Justice, an anti-war group, to hold a rally of 250,000 people in Central Park on Aug. 29. Officials say the event would exceed the 80,000-person capacity of the park's Great Lawn and damage the grass, which was restored in 1996.

"This is not about lawn care, this is about politics," said William Dobbs, a spokesman with the anti-war group. "We're fighting for the right to dissent against a mayor who is clearly working with federal officials and the Republican National Committee and who wants to chop this protest down."

Dobbs said they applied for permits nearly a year ago, and the park has a history of hosting events, from protests to concerts, that exceeded the newly defined capacity.

Protests are expected each day of the convention from various groups, including police and firefighter unions who say their members are underpaid and underfunded to fight terrorism.

A similar gaggle of demonstrations is planned for the Democratic National Convention in Boston, to be held July 26-29.

One movement, backed by the Web site shadowprotest.org, is encouraging people to sign up to work at the conventions as "phantom volunteers" who cause disruptions by not showing up for assignments.

Between dealing with protesters and the threat of terrorism, the estimated price tag for security at the GOP convention has spiraled upward in recent months. The latest estimate is $76 million, with police overtime accounting for about $59 million, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has said. At least two-thirds of the bill will go to the city, with the federal government contributing $25 million.

The federal government is giving the same amount toward security costs for the Democratic convention, where the total estimated bill is $40 million.

Part of the cost for New York police is a shopping list that includes special barriers to ring Madison Square Garden to control crowds and block trucks; a television monitoring system; 300 motor scooters; 15 vans; and monitoring devices to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

The department, which has about 36,500 members, plans to use 6,000 to 10,000 officers to handle convention security and demonstrations. The officers already have begun training to deal with attacks by weapons of mass destruction and strikes against mass transit.

A week ago, city officials staged a simulated explosion at a Manhattan subway station blocks from the World Trade Center site. Hundreds of emergency workers responded to the mock attack, which included a simulated casualty count of 200 injured and 40 killed.

In a sign of a city on edge, the exercise itself was briefly halted when an abandoned knapsack was found a few blocks away. A bomb squad found that it was harmless.

Police and city officials have denied persistent rumors that Penn Station, the hub of Amtrak, commuter and subway trains beneath Madison Square Garden, will close for the convention.

Instead, Kelly has announced plans to inspect all trains with dogs and police officers before they enter the station. It's unclear how extensive the inspections will be, but even that plan is a potential nightmare of delays for millions of train passengers.

While security plans remain in flux, talk of an outer perimeter around Madison Square Garden, potentially stretching for blocks and limiting traffic and access, has business owners worried about a week without customers.

Protesters also object to the possibility they will be kept out of sight and earshot of the convention.

Boston commuters also will face a host of restrictions, and many plan to telecommute from home or take vacation that week in July to avoid the hassle.

The Secret Service, which oversees security for both conventions, on Thursday called for the closing in Boston of several miles of a major interstate highway during the afternoon rush hour and in the evening when delegates gather. Already planned is a weeklong closing of North Station, a major subway and commuter rail center near the convention site at the FleetCenter.

Cars and trucks in downtown Boston also will be subject to random searches, and commuter boat service from a wharf in downtown Boston will be suspended for the week.
 
 

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