Police Prepared To Arrest 3,000 At '08 RNC

[Kat Kanning]

Police Prepared To Arrest 3,000 At '08 RNC

WCCO
Wednesday April 18, 2007

(AP) St. Paul The Ramsey County sheriff has prepared a $4.4 million budget for security during the 2008 Republican National Convention, with a plan to handle the arrests of as many as 3,000 protesters.

Sheriff Bob Fletcher's proposal includes money for a possible open-air, fenced detention facility next to the county workhouse, riot equipment and Tasers, and $1.7 million for officers' overtime.

Boston and New York City, which hosted the national political conventions in 2004, prepared for similar numbers of arrests but wound up arresting fewer. Fletcher said things could be different in 2008.

"The tenor of the country's feelings about the war in Iraq is different than it was four years ago," Fletcher said.

Planning for 3,000 arrests drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union in Minnesota. Charles Samuelson, the group's executive director, said he was concerned that the number might be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

St. Paul police Commander Joe Neuberger rejected that. Ramsey County simply needed a number to start with, he said.

"Our goal is to arrest no one," he said.

St. Paul police are primarily responsible for arrests, with the sheriff's office responsible for handling prisoners. Fletcher said the proposed expenses were to make sure "we treat the detainees with dignity and respect."

Fletcher said he hoped the county's security costs would be covered through a $50 million federal convention security appropriation pending in Congress. His proposal may go to the county board by late summer.

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Department hasn't yet been asked to develop a convention budget, Sheriff Rich Stanek said. He said he didn't know of any estimates of protest arrests in Minneapolis.

[error]

You can treat people with dignity and respect by not "detaining" people who are peacefully exercising their rights.

[LiveFree]

Hopefully the St. Paul's sheriffs office gets several multi-million dollar lessons in NOT trampling people's Constitutional right to free speech and to petition the government for redress of grievances if they do indeed arrest people simply for exercising their rights.

[error]

A magazine publisher was among those swept off the streets during the RNC convention in 2004. He managed to get photos of the NYPD's improvised detention camp from inside. And he describes his experiences. It's beyond shocking.

[Insurgent]

I'm from Minnesota, before I fled to New Hampshire. I doubt it will be all that bad; protesters there don't get as excited and agitated as they do in other states  You don't understand unless you've lived there

[error]

It's hard to get excited and agitated when you're bundled in six layers of clothing and it's 30 below outside.

[Insurgent]

  yep and when you're thinking about that pot of coffee and pan of bars back at home

[error]

I admit to going out in the freezing cold once to see Michael Moore in St. Paul. Fortunately I've since recovered.

[thinkliberty]

I wonder if each police officer will have a quota that they will be expected fulfill, by arresting X number of people. Just like the quotas that a lot of police departments have for writing speeding tickets.

[Quantrill]

With all the cops at the RNC convention I wonder how many real criminals will be out looting and pillaging to their hearts' content while peaceful protesters are getting locked up...

[Dreepa]

With all the cops at the RNC convention I wonder how many real criminals will be out looting and pillaging to their hearts' content while peaceful protesters are getting locked up...

Many of the criminals will be inside the RNC convention... they could start there.

[Insurgent]

With all the cops at the RNC convention I wonder how many real criminals will be out looting and pillaging to their hearts' content while peaceful protesters are getting locked up...

Many of the criminals will be inside the RNC convention... they could start there.

Uh-oh!

[Quantrill]

 

[dalebert]

I admit to going out in the freezing cold once to see Michael Moore in St. Paul. Fortunately I've since recovered.

From the cold or from Michael Moore? Hopefully both.

[error]

Er, both. Michael Moore first.