🚀 go-pugleaf

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/police-prepare-for-unrest-2008-10-21.html

Police prepare for unrest
By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 10/21/08 07:58 PM [ET]

Police departments in cities
across the country are beefing
up their ranks for Election Day,
preparing for possible civil unrest
and riots after the historic
presidential contest.

Public safety officials said in
interviews with The Hill that the
election,

which will end with either the
nation's first black president or
its first female vice president,
demanded a stronger police presence.

Some worry that if Barack Obama
loses and there is suspicion of
foul play in the election,

violence could ensue in cities
with large black populations.

Others based the need for enhanced
patrols on past riots in urban areas
(following professional sports events)
and also on Internet rumors.

Democratic strategists and advocates
for black voters say they understand
officers wanting to keep the peace,
but caution that excessive police
presence could intimidate voters.

Sen. Obama (Ill.),
the Democratic nominee for president,
has seen his lead over rival
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
grow in recent weeks,

prompting speculation that there
could be a violent backlash if he
loses unexpectedly.

Cities that have suffered unrest before,
such as Detroit, Chicago, Oakland and
Philadelphia, will have extra police deployed.

In Oakland, the police will deploy
extra units trained in riot control,
as well as extra traffic police,
and even put SWAT teams on standby.

"Are we anticipating it will
be a riot situation?

No.

But will we be prepared if it goes awry?

Yes," said Jeff Thomason,
spokesman for the Oakland Police Department.

"I think it is a big deal -
you got an African-American
running and [a] woman running,"
he added,

in reference to Obama and GOP
vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

"Whoever wins it, it will be a national event.

We will have more officers on the street
in anticipation that things may go south."

The Oakland police last faced big
riots in 2003 when the Raiders lost
to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the
Super Bowl.

Officials are bracing themselves
in case residents of Oakland take
Obama's loss badly.

Political observers such as Hilary Shelton
and James Carville fear that record voter
turnout could overload polling places on
Election Day and could raise tension levels.

Shelton, the director of
the NAACP's Washington bureau,

said inadequate voting facilities is
a bigger problem in poor communities
with large numbers of minorities.

"What are local election officials
doing to prepare for what people think
will be record turnout at the polls?"
said Shelton,

who added that during the 2004 election
in Ohio voters in predominantly black
communities had to wait in line six to
eight hours to vote.

"On Election Day, if this continues,
you may have some tempers flare;
we should be prepared to deal with
that but do it without intimidation,"
said Shelton, who added that police
have to be able to maintain order at
polling stations without scaring voters,
especially immigrants from "police states."

1 | 2 | 3   Next >