Obama home city beefs up security for election night

Obama home city beefs up security for election night

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's home city of Chicago is beefing up security before election night on Nov. 4.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley told reporters Friday that a million people might show up for an election night rally for Obama in the downtown Grant Park, and said Secret Service will conduct security screenings.


U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) campaigns at an election rally in Des Moines, Iowa, October 31, 2008. Obama is campaigning in Iowa and Indiana on Friday before the November 4 presidential election.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)


"Everyone should be concerned, when you get a million people --that's a lot of people," he said.

The city has ordered all off-duty firefighters to bring helmets, breathing tanks and other gear home in case of any emergency on Nov. 4.

The Chicago Police Department has also canceled all days off for officers on election day next Tuesday.

Everyone will be working 12-hour shifts, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

The city also named a security veteran of the 2005 Chicago White Sox World Series games as the security coordinator for the Obama rally.

Last week, the Chicago government announced it was ready for 70,000 or more supporters to crowd Grant Park and the surrounding area, and said the event could cost at least 2 million dollars, which the Obama campaign quickly said it would underwrite.

Further details of the event have not been released, with officials particularly declining to discuss security issues.


U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) gestures that there are four days left until the U.S. presidential election at a rally in Gary, Indiana, October 31, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)