Posted on 06/29/2004 3:05:17 PM PDT by Libloather
Coast Guard says 600-plus personnel to provide security during convention
By Associated Press
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
BOSTON - The U.S. Coast Guard will deploy more than 600 men and women in air, land and sea patrols around Boston Harbor during next month's Democratic National Convention, officials said Tuesday.
Boats ranging from rigid-hulled inflatables to a 270-foot cutter will patrol the harbor and offshore areas, with the cutter's crew randomly boarding commercial ships for security checks. Officials would not say how many vessels would be on patrol, except to say it would be more than usual.
Coast Guard helicopters will fly overhead and personnel will also patrol the shoreline, said Lt. Gabrielle McGrath, security coordinator for the Coast Guard during the DNC.
``The Coast Guard is working to make sure the Port of Boston is safe and secure during the Democratic National Convention, while minimizing the impact on commercial and recreational traffic,'' McGrath said.
``We'll be out there. We'll just be looking for anything out of the ordinary on the harbor that we see,'' she said.
The Coast Guard plans to set up a 250-foot security zone around Logan International Airport that will be off limits to all boats. It also plans to shut down the area around the Charles River locks, which connect the Charles to Boston Harbor. The FleetCenter, site of the convention, sits near the river mouth.
Officials said the massive liquid natural gas tankers that periodically deliver fuel to a terminal in Everett - a source of terrorism fears in the city - have agreed to reschedule trips so there will be none during the convention, scheduled for July 26 to 29.
McGrath said the Coast Guard had been planning for the event for 18 months and would work with state police, Boston police and state environmental police.
The more than 600 personnel will include active duty and reserve Coast Guard members and Coast Guard auxiliary members.
McGrath said the number of personnel on duty would be ``pretty similar'' to the staffing during the tall ships extravaganzas the city has hosted.
She said even though personnel were being brought in from around the area to help in the event, the Coast Guard would still be able to perform its other duties around the region.
``There is no concern there,'' she said. ``Everything will be covered.''
Meanwhile, all they report about the Republican convention is the large number of whores coming into town for the event. I'm sure there'll be none of that with the Dims. Maybe young boys.
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