Secret Service Responds to Charges of Lax Gun Checks at Obama Rally in Dallas

Posted by Pam Spaulding, Pam's House Blend at 7:26 AM on February 23, 2008.

(UPDATE: Jack Douglas of the Star-Telegram has a follow up to his original story. Readers have flooded the comments of the original article with stories of equally lax security at other events -- I've included some below the fold.)

It takes a lot to get the Secret Service to respond. Based on this statement, someone is not telling the truth, as the USSS challenges the veracity of the Dallas law enforcement's observations reported in the Star-Telegram. Is this a satisfactory explanation? (UPI):

The U.S. Secret Service Friday denied reports that security measures at a recent Barack Obama rally in Texas were relaxed or deviated from established plans.

Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said there was no order from the Secret Service to stop screening people going to the Obama rally Wednesday at Dallas's Reunion Arena. He said that the event's security plans didn't involve having each participant pass through a magnetometer, as may be the case at other events.

The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported that some police at the event expressed concern about people not passing through metal detectors.

"Any allegations to the fact that we had suspended screening or deviated from the original security plan would be entirely inaccurate," Zahren said.

Obama, D-Ill., spoke before some 17,000 supporters at the rally ahead of the March 4 primary election in Texas. There were no security-related incidents.

While stressing that security preparations are different for each venue and event, Zahren said officials were happy with the security plan for the rally at Reunion Arena and the way it was implemented.

Limited use of metal detectors "in no way constituted a security lapse at this venue," Zahren said, adding that the security measures were developed with Dallas-area law enforcement personnel.

I've been reading your coverage of the Obama speech the Dallas, where they stopped checking the attendees for weapons. Earlier this month, Obama gave a speech at Boise State University. My girlfriend and I waited in line for more than two hours to get in and there were 14,000 people there for a 13,000 seat facility. I don't know if they stopped checking people because of the line, or if there was any checking in the first place. There were no metal detectors that I could see and, while no one was allowed to bring drinks in, that was the extent of the security checking.

What makes this even more unusual is about a year before, I had gone to see Jesse Jackson at the same venue. There were metal detectors, dogs sniffing people, and everyone's purses or bags were searched. Thank you for covering this important story.

* The same thing happened at the speech in Virginia Beach, where we had 18,000 people. I was pretty surprised when they stopped screening and opened all the doors, and even if it's a "friendly" crowd, it only takes one to cause a disaster.

* I went to Obama's rally in St. Louis. We were just allowed into the arena. Our bags weren't checked nor were metal detectors used. There were over 20,000 at that rally.

* The same thing happened in Green Bay, WI at the Kress Center on February 15. People were just waved through to the auditorium during the last 15-20 minutes - No visual checks whatsoever or passing through a metal detector. The goal was to start on time apparently, which the rally did.

* This is exactly what happened in NYC last fall when Obama made an appearance in Washington Square Park. They screened people with metal detectors for the first two hours, but when it became apparent that most of the crowd would not make it in for several more hours they just let everybody flood the park with no screening.

* When Hillary Clinton gave a speech in Salinas, CA the police did not scan either. There was an obvious S/S presence but it was all very casual. A local DNC woman just had the few of us at the door fill out a donation form. Then right in we went.

* Sam[e] thing happened in Houston. A friend and I arrived about 30 minutes before he spoke and walked right through the font doors of the Toyota Center without going through any medal detectors, wands, etc. Rediculous that the security is so weak and that our law enforcement is not taking the necessary steps to protect against anyone wishing to do him harm or wishing to do harm to the thousands that show up at these events to support him.

* The same thing happened at the Obama rally that I attended in San Francisco. We waited in line for hours and then suddenly the speed of the line picked way up and we walked right through the metal detectors which had been turned off. I would've much rather gotten into the rally late than had the individual who I hope will be the next President of the US endangered by "expediency" efforts.

* The same thing happened at the outdoor Wilmington, Delaware rally I attended. Over 12,000 folks showed at that one. It appeared the officers were overwhelmed with having to check so many people. What I really found interesting were the snipers and scouts on the roof of the old courthouse. I noticed two of them captivated by Obama's speech and simply put their binoculars down. I remember praying, please don't let anything happen.

* This happened in Kansas City, Missouri, too, but only a few people - perhaps 100 or so - got in without being screened, including me. The few they let in without screening were among the last to be let in after metal detectors had been taken down, when they initially determined that the venue was full. Officials opened about a few more spots and we got in without any check at all.

Pam Spaulding blogs at Pam's House Blend.