Case Study

In Depth: Democratic Party Convention Security

Boston's big political party in 2004 took a lot of planning. During a six-month period, CSO followed U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Scott Sheafe as he and others developed a security plan tailored to make the best of a bad situation.

By Sarah D. Scalet

In the end, the Secret Service made lemonade out of their lemons. The elevated trolley line that Sheafe was worried about? It was posted with National Guard troops who had a bird's-eye view that would have otherwise been unavailable. It also shielded from the rain and sun delegates and journalists waiting to get through security. (It also protected protesters in a controversial "Free Speech" areaat least the few protesters who chose to use what was largely derided as a protest "pen" or as "Camp X-Ray," after the prison at Guantanamo Bay.) A gravel pit that was part of the construction site was cleared, opening up enough space in an otherwise cramped area to create a restricted parking lot for buses bringing in delegates. Even the train tracks into the station worked to Sheafe's advantage. Groups of law enforcement officers who were staying at Boston College, on the outskirts of the city, rolled right into the FleetCenter on dedicated, express trolley cars that bypassed the gridlock. By and large, the problems with the site were successfully surmounted.

All of which isn't to say that security experts shouldn't be part of the process of site selection next time.

"It's hard to look into the future," Sheafe said, when asked if he thinks that will happen. "I don't know. It may make some sense for the DNCC and RNCC when they get down to a short list to seek some expertise, whether it may be from us or anybody else, on the venue. I would think there would be some utility to it."

Other stories by Sarah D. Scalet

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