Residents will have to have special security placards for their cars. One man living in the area, worried about getting his wife to a scheduled doctor's appointment without the usual taxi, was told by the police that he must call and arrange for a fire department ambulance to pick her up. People living near the United Center have already gotten a taste of the clampdown. Instead, they have to walk on the other side of the housing development, away from the side closer to the United Center. People accustomed to hanging out and talking with friends at a local grocery store have been ordered by cops to just get in and out, period.
Residents report seeing police everywhere-all day, all night.
The entire fleet of 32 Illinois Sate Police motorcycles is being sent to Chicago for rapid deployment and response in crowded conditions. And the Coast Guard will be patrolling the shores of Lake Michigan. These forces on the ground and water will be reinforced by flying pigs. The four fixed-wing aircraft provide additional surveillance capability, but without all of the bells and whistles provided by the Air One. The city is assigning 100 city buses for use in transporting both delegates and news media to and from the convention site.