photo credit: cleveland.com
Security and safety measures for downtown Cleveland during the Republican National Convention are planned and implemented by local, state, and federal agencies. Personnel from Cleveland Police Dept., Cleveland Fire Dept., Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Dept., state troopers from Michigan and Wisconsin, etc, are working with the Secret Service, the FBI, and FEMA, among other agencies. (Background reports are here and here.)
Just how effective are the federal agencies? Mr.
Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds, published a few sobering thoughts in his USA
article “FBI's reputation crumbles with Clinton email fumble.” An
excerpt:
the FBI is just one
of many federal agencies whose reputation for professionalism has taken a hit
during the Obama years. The IRS, complicit
in targeting Tea Party groups for their political views, is one. The Secret
Service, which has figured in numerous sexual scandals and failures to
protect, is another. And, in fact, the notion of a “non-partisan” and competent
civil service has taken quite a knock, as one agency after another has seemed
ready, willing and able to be compromised by politics.
Politicians have a
short-term focus, seldom looking past the next election. But for those of us
with a longer view, this is a serious problem. As The
Atlantic recently noted, trust in government is collapsing around
the world. The reason for this, I’m afraid, is that government isn’t
trustworthy.
I will be going to the meeting next week at
Cleveland Public Auditorium to hear the updates from law enforcement and other
personnel. My list of questions already includes: does CPD intend to deputize,
say, any Oath Keepers? Has there been any communication with the Ohio National
Guard? Is Gov. Kasich prepared to activate the compact to request National
Guard troops from other states?
Am I overly concerned? Well, I was living in Cleveland
during the race riots of 1968 and passed armed National Guard troops in jeeps
or on foot on just about every street corner heading into downtown. I remember feeling
safer because of their presence. Maybe I am
overly worried about everyone’s safety during RNC week, but some of the reports
and the list of organizations sending in paid protesters make me think that, to
paraphrase Miss Piggy, too much preparation is never enough.
# # #
