Posted on Thu, Feb. 21, 2008
Police concerned about order to stop screening
By JACK DOUGLAS Jr.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
DALLAS -- Security details at Barack Obama's rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena.
The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security.
Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on.
"Sure," said Lawrence, when asked if he was concerned by the great number of people who had gotten into the building without being checked. But, he added, the turnout of more than 17,000 people seemed to be a "friendly crowd."
The Secret Service did not return a call from the Star-Telegram seeking comment.
Doors opened to the public at 10 a.m., and for the first hour security officers scanned each person who came in and checked their belongings in a process that kept movement of the long lines at a crawl. Then, about 11 a.m., an order came down to allow the people in without being checked.
Several Dallas police officers said it worried them that the arena was packed with people who got in without even a cursory inspection.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because, they said, the order was made by federal officials who were in charge of security at the event.
"How can you not be concerned in this day and age," said one policeman.
Not cool. I have no interest in having him become president because of his socialist mentality, but this kind of shit cannot be tolerated. I sure hope it's not what it seems here.
Yeah this is kind of concerning, if it's not something that happens normally (and even if it does)...
Wasn't it well within the power of the Dallas police to continue the tight security? The Secret Service should only have the jurisdiction to increase security, not reduce it!
Drolgin Steingrinder wrote:Who'd kill Obama? The terrorists are the ones funding his campaign and his plans to turn the US into a califate with him at the head as grand mufti.
Yeah, I bet they were afraid that they would catch all of his terrorist buddies that just came to listen to him speak.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Secret Service Friday denied reports that security measures at a recent Barack Obama rally in Texas were relaxed or deviated from established plans.
Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said there was no order from the Secret Service to stop screening people going to the Obama rally Wednesday at Dallas's Reunion Arena. He said that the event's security plans didn't involve having each participant pass through a magnetometer, as may be the case at other events.
The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported that some police at the event expressed concern about people not passing through metal detectors.
"Any allegations to the fact that we had suspended screening or deviated from the original security plan would be entirely inaccurate," Zahren said.
Obama, D-Ill., spoke before some 17,000 supporters at the rally ahead of the March 4 primary election in Texas. There were no security-related incidents.
While stressing that security preparations are different for each venue and event, Zahren said officials were happy with the security plan for the rally at Reunion Arena and the way it was implemented.
Limited use of metal detectors "in no way constituted a security lapse at this venue," Zahren said, adding that the security measures were developed with Dallas-area law enforcement personnel.
This kind of makes the original story look like an invented scare tactic.
Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:
Not cool. I have no interest in having him become president because of his socialist mentality, but this kind of shit cannot be tolerated. I sure hope it's not what it seems here.
two days ago you said (in the McCain thread)
I'd be shocked if Obama doesn't win it all in November. Two great candidates though. Should be a great 9 months.
You seem to be easily swayed by the media... /feign shock
Lalanae Burundi High Chancellor for Tourism, Sodomy and Pie
Unofficial Canadian, Forbidden Lover of Pie, Jesus-Hatin'' Sodomite, President of KFC (Kyoukan Fan Club), hawt, perververted, intellectual submissive with E.S.P (Extra Sexual Persuasion)
Fash wrote:You don't have to like him to think he's going to win... there's no contradiction or change in those posts.
"Two great candidates"
Lalanae Burundi High Chancellor for Tourism, Sodomy and Pie
Unofficial Canadian, Forbidden Lover of Pie, Jesus-Hatin'' Sodomite, President of KFC (Kyoukan Fan Club), hawt, perververted, intellectual submissive with E.S.P (Extra Sexual Persuasion)
Fash wrote:You don't have to like him to think he's going to win... there's no contradiction or change in those posts.
"Two great candidates"
and? The same thing applies... you don't have to want them to win to think they are great candidates. I assure you he doesn't like Clinton.
he was talking about McCain & Obama, not Clinton & Obama (hence "November")
I think the comments are pretty contradictory
Lalanae Burundi High Chancellor for Tourism, Sodomy and Pie
Unofficial Canadian, Forbidden Lover of Pie, Jesus-Hatin'' Sodomite, President of KFC (Kyoukan Fan Club), hawt, perververted, intellectual submissive with E.S.P (Extra Sexual Persuasion)
Not at all. I think they are both great candidates. They both represent their parties very well. Obama is very inspirational and McCain is a stand up guy. However, Obama is a far left liberal / socialist and it scares me to death that he will probably win and have 4-8 years to further ruin the country I love.
Last edited by Midnyte_Ragebringer on February 22, 2008, 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
What troubles me about stories coming out like this is not so much the truth level of them, but more the ideas that they plant the seeds of in sick minds.
I'm tired of people calling Obama a socialist. To seriously associate Barack Obama with Marxist ideas is insane. When millions of American families are in poor shape right now, slightly tweaking the system in the fairest way possible to bring some sort of qualm to the economic hardships that include lack of proper healthcare. While some conservatives seek for yet even more ways to increase their wealth through the loopholes in our tax system and policies that heavily favor major corporations, us crazy liberals wished our government would actually start to work for the people for a change. Why are hundreds of millions of dollars a day tied up in Iraq, with borrowed funds, when it's OUR tax money and 70% of Americans disagree with the war. It sounds like a hell of a field day to Haliburton and BlackWater to me. The Bushes especially have liked the war economy. Just because Obama wants to change the country's direction it doesn't mean the he's a fucking socialist. Against the grain - sure. Radical and dangerous - say he was; how's the status quo, chief?
