Chicago Police Ramp Up Security for Pride Events Following Orlando Shooting

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, flanked by local elected officials, speaks at a press conference on security measures at upcoming Chicago Pride events.

Chicago, IL, June 17, 2016 -- Chicago Police are ramping up security at the city’s LGBT pride events scheduled over the next two weekends.
Police, city and elected officials gathered Thursday for a press conference Thursday at the 19th District police station in Lake View to reassure those planning to attend upcoming Pride events as well as discuss security measures in the wake of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando last Sunday.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said his department has been working closely with city agencies, law enforcement partners, the 19th District police commander, elected officials and the community to ensure the safety of the events.
“Now we all know there is a lot of focus on the horrific incident that occurred in Orlander earlier this week,” Johnson said. “I want to repeat what we know and what we’ve been saying, there has been no intelligence or threat made against the LGBTQ community or for any event in the city of Chicago.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge John Brown, of Chicago’s FBI Office, reiterated the police superintendent’s statement.
“We’re working closely with the Chicago Police Department to establish security measures for this event,” Brown said. “The FBI only shares information with our law enforcement partners and openly shares any threat information that has come to our attention. We’re not aware of any known threats to the Pride Parade or northern Illinois.:
Chicago OEMC Managing Deputy Director of Operations Rich Guidice said the city is building on the existing plan it already in place for large public events.
“OEMC and the CPD have met several times in the past week and we have added resources and security measures so the focus can remain on what Pride Fest and Pride Parade are all about, a celebration of LGBT community,” Guidice said.

Such measures include increasing barricades along the parade route for participants and attendees’ safety and addressing overcrowding on porches and rooftops by assigning Chicago Department of Buildings inspectors along the parade route.
The parade route has also been modified from past years to ease the impact on neighborhood residents and reducing the number of parade entries to make for a shorter parade. CTA bus and rail service will be increased over the next two weekends to ease congestion on public transit.
CPD plans to deploy more uniformed and plainclothes police at Chicago Pride Fest this weekend and at next weekend's Pride Parade. Attendees can expect to see more cops on bikes, police K9s and on public transportation.
Parade-goers will pass through security checkpoints and can expect to have purses and bags searched.
“We’re not going to let people bring knives in,” the police superintendent said. “We’re going to make sure the event is as safe and secure as best as we can.”
Johnson wouldn’t give out the exact number of police officers deployed or go into detail about new security measures added since the Orlando mass shooting.

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) addresses the news media.
"We don’t want to give our playbook out,” the police superintendent said. “The Orlando incident is of great concern to us. We have no credible threats or intelligence that suggest that there is going to be some issues. We always take these incidents under consideration.”
Christopher Barrett Pilton, executive director of the Northhalsted Business Alliance, said that its member bars in the Boystown section of Lake View have a full complement of private security as part of Pride Fest’s public safety plan, as it does regularly throughout the summer months.
Organizers also plan to have 160 private security officers to supplement Chicago police officers during the Pride Parade
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) said the policy introduced last year increasing fines for those caught drinking in the public way are still in effect. He urged an alcohol-free Pride Parade.
“Some people have asked for a moment of silence for the Orlando tragedy,” Tunney said. “I’m asking for a day and week of respect for each other as individuals, gay and straight, respect for law enforcement, and respect for the neighborhood that has been so tolerant over the 40 some years of hosting this parade.”