Seeking advice about the GOP convention from afar

[question everything]

Source: Minneapolis StarTribune

By Howie Padilla and Terry Collins, Star Tribune

Last update: June 09, 2007 – 5:56 PM

St. Paul and Minneapolis police union officials are planning a fact-finding mission to New York this month in search of advice about what to expect when the Republican National Convention comes to Minnesota next year.

(snip)

Federal, state and local agencies expect the event next September to draw as many as 20,000 conventiongoers, 15,000 media representatives and thousands of protesters.

"Are we going to have the numbers to do what needs to be done?" asked John Delmonico, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation. Both union leaders said they are concerned that officers will be forced to work long hours and worry that they won't get adequate training to protect themselves.

(snip)

Heads of firefighter unions in each city said that they have been promised that training is forthcoming and that they will be well-prepared when the conventiongoers arrive. "The Secret Service has the lead in all the planning, and they have a schedule," said Pat Flanagan, president of the St. Paul firefighters union. "It's not the same schedule that everyone would like, but they're the experts in doing this."



Read more: http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1236279.html