The position of Major Louis Warren

¶ … Louis Warren DRNC

Decision and Policy Making at the DRNC

Planning for a convention is definitely no easy task. There is no way to fully prepare for all the potential risks that can arise in a situation so intense. The City of Miami has a lot of considerations before preparing for the upcoming DRNC. Out of the wide number of possible threats, the three that seem most likely are issues with unruly protesters, legal consequences from possible civilian complaints and lawsuits, and finally potential terrorist attacks using violence to strike out at innocent protesters or conference attendees.

In today's world, any political event has its fair share of controversy. Some members of the public can get extremely impassioned and riled up, causing problems in the First Amendment Zones where protests are legally taking place. Often times, protests can start out calm and organized, but as the day goes on can get out of control. The sheer level of likelihood is what makes this the highest risk, because it is inevitable that some level of conflict will break out among protestors at some point during the conventions. This particular convention is even more of a risk, because it features members of both the Democratic and Republican parties, meaning that protesters might get out of line with not on the authorities, but also with each other. In the past, unruly protesters have been known to cause chaos, like "blocking roads, shutting down transit systems" and even taking violent actions against Convention attendees and even police officers (Levine, 2012). When tensions rise, it is almost impossible to stop a protest from getting out of hand. Moreover, without proper security measures, protests that get out of hand can get extremely dangerous. In the last convention in Tampa, "police confiscated bricks and pipes" from protestors and on rooftops around the convention area (Levine, 2012). It is imperative to really set a strict security plan in place in regards to the regulation of the First Amendment Zones.

Yet, another potential threat actually stems from the possibility of what can happen when security measures are taken too far. Civil lawsuits and actions against officer actions can take place when security personnel overstep their boundaries or are too rough with enforcing security policies. With the threats looming in recent years, most cities have pumped up the level of security in and around conventions. The research suggest "ever since the September 11th attacks, security at all major events, political or not, has been turned up several notches" (Mataconis, 2012). Police take greater security measures, including more searches and restrictions of what can be brought into First Amendment Zones, essentially means that there will be greater interaction between police officers and protesters who may believe their rights are being subjugated. More police force means a greater chance of some protestors coming into conflict with security. With the increase of technology, many may also have smart phones or video cameras that can document rare situations which can later be used against the City of the Miami. All security staff involved must be informed of the strict adhesion to policies that do not infringe on the First Amendment rights of protestors.