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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.

Diplomacy is key in this elaborate orchestration. Sheafe emphasizes that the Secret Service is not in charge of security for the entire DNC, per sefrom hotel security to protest permits to the Boston Harbor. Instead, the agency's job is to secure the FleetCenter itself and to coordinate the plans for the rest of the city. Partnership is a word Sheafe throws around a lot, as in: "We can't show up and say, Here's what we're going to do. And have the Boston Police say, You're crazy. It has to be a partnership."

"What you won't hear Scott Sheafe say is that the Secret Service is in charge of the whole city of Boston," said Sheafe. "It's not my intention; it's not true."

Nevertheless, the Secret Service in generaland Sheafe in particularbears the brunt of the criticism when plans are announced. Take what has certainly been the most contentious decision to result from the myriad planning meetings: the decision to close North Station for the entire week of the event, and sections of I-93 each evening.

The vulnerability was obvious from the get-go. North Station is the terminus for four of Boston's commuter rail lines and also connects to two subway lines, making it a crucial link in the area's transportation network. But the trains spill 24,000 passengers a day literally into the FleetCenter. On evenings when there's a large eventsay, a World Wrestling Entertainment showcommuters must burrow their way through throngs of people lined up to get in. Not only were there logistical problems, but there was also concern about terrorists using the train station as the launch pad for an attack.

Originally, city officials talked of building a temporary platform a few hundred feet north of the station. Fine, said Sheafe, but he pointed out that passengers would have to be directed north, around a large secured zone, rather than directly toward wherever their offices are located.

This is a typical Secret Service maneuver, and good security practicea way of saying yes when you'd really rather say no. Suddenly, shuttle buses didn't sound quite so bad to city planners. There was only one more not-so-small complication: The Secret Service was concerned that terrorists might try to detonate a vehicle-born explosive on I-93. The road itself, at least a small section of it, needed to be secured somehow.

It was a painful callso painful that there was even brief talk, sparked by Gov. Romney, of moving the event from the FleetCenter to a new convention center in South Boston, completed in June. The city might have coped with the loss of either its commuter rail station or its main highway without too much trauma. But both? "When you take both away, and then still try to have an event that people are excited about...," Sheafe said, then sighed, recalling the meetings involved. "There were difficult discussions."