Cost, security, concerns for upcoming summits in Chicago

Chicago is getting underway on plans for the G8 and NATO Summits that will be held in McCormick Place this May. It will be the first time since 1977, when the events took place in London, that the two events are being held in the same city.

It did not come as a surprise to many that Chicago was chosen to host the events, as it is President Obama's hometown and Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the former Chief-of-Staff to the President. However, it does go against the tradition of putting the summits, particularly the G8, in relatively secluded areas. For example, the past two summits were held in Huntsville, Canada and Deauville, a beach town on the coast of France.

Reasons for the isolation is pretty easy to realize, as the summits are two of the largest international meetings held and heavy violence has a history of breaking out at them. That is one of the reasons why the summits have been deemed a National Special Security Event (NSSE) by the Department of Homeland Security. By definition, this means that the summits are classified as potential targets for terrorists. Under that categorization, the Secret Service now has oversight over event security, and the FBI has oversight of the law enforcement.

Freshman Biology major Nell Langner said she isn't concerned about the security situation concerning the summit.

"I supported the Olympics when it came to Chicago- events such as this bring increased revenue for local businesses, hotels, and in many ways helps the people of Chicago economically."

Back in September, city officials released a statement saying that they received $54.6 million in federal grants from the Urban Area Security Initiative. This is a grant that would be able to be used for the summits under NSSE categorization; however, there has so far been very little information released by the city when it comes to cost analysis, leaving many to wonder exactly how much of the tab will be picked up by the taxpayers.

Recently, police Superintendent Garry McCarthy announced that the force will be switching to 12-hour shifts during the summits as opposed to the normal 8 1/2-hour shifts. Doing so will free up around a third of the police force, but it also means paying overtime, the total cost of which the city has not yet released.

Superintendent McCarthy said that he does not believe the numbers of officers are going to be an issue. Regardless, the Chicago Police Department will be required to undergo a certain amount of training in accordance to regulations set by Homeland Security for an NSSE.

In order to try and cut down on the violence that has surrounded previous summits, the mayor proposed new restrictions that would raise the fine for resisting officers from $25-$500 to $200-$1,000. According to the ordinance, this includes "passive resistance." which is otherwise known as "nonviolent protest" or "civil disobedience."

It would also align all public spaces in Chicago with the Park District's hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Although not many people have questioned this change yet, it would mean that parks and paths that were previously available to runners and others as early as 4 a.m. would have to push up their hours. If these restrictions only lasted for the duration of the summit, then it might not upset too many early morning runners. However, according to the ordinance, the only regulation that is set to expire would be the mayor's additional power to enter into agreements, which will expire on July 31, 2012.

Alaina Reese, a Sociology major and freshman at DePaul, said, "I am not worried about the delays, and I don't think that people who aren't working a 9 to 5 have much to worry about."

She also supports hosting the summits in Chicago. "Anytime you get a privilege like this, it opens up opportunities for the community, and can help change the attitude of many for the better."

Debate has risen over yet another part of the proposal that allows for the CPD to enter into agreements with agencies such as the FBI to "deputize law enforcement personnel," which would give them authorization to act on behalf of the CPD and therefore have access to control not only by federal law but also local Chicago law.

Of course, all of these newly publicized proposals, as well as threats and rumors of others yet to be released, have some activists fuming. The City Council is set to review Mayor Emanuel's proposed regulations on Jan. 18.