Funeral events require planning and sensitivity
Local and national law enforcement agencies are working in concert to ensure that the logistics are taken care of while preserving the dignity of the occasion.
By KAREN LEE ZINER
Journal Staff Writer
With the solemnity of the funeral for Sen. John H. Chafee remaining paramount, law-enforcement agencies worked yesterday to ensure a smooth arrival and departure for President and Mrs. Clinton and dozens of dignitaries, and provide safe passage as Chafee's coffin travels a public, two-mile route.
From roadblocks to limousines, metal detectors to bomb-sniffing dogs, command posts and communications, a thousand myriad details occupied a half-dozen local, state and federal agencies in advance of tomorrow's rites at the State House and Grace Church in downtown Providence.
In terms of planning, ``It's probably the biggest funeral I've seen in my career,'' said state police Capt. Leo Messier, among those helping shape the events.
Coordinated primarily by the U.S. Secret Service, agencies involved also include the Rhode Island State Police, the U.S. Capitol Police, state Capitol Police, the Providence, Warwick and Cranston police Departments, the U.S. Senate sergeant-at-arms, members of Chafee's Senate office staff, the Rhode Island National Guard, T.F. Green Airport Police, and others.
``It was chaotic earlier this morning,'' admitted John J. Enright, resident agent-in-charge of the Secret Service's Providence field office. But with advance teams from Washington checking the church and motorcade routes, and all hands working together, Enright said things ``are going smoothly.''
The combination of a presidential visit -- involving enormous planning and staffing in itself -- and the arrival and departure of numerous dignitaries, large crowds expected along the funeral procession route, ``logistics-wise, make it more difficult,'' Enright said.
For this somber event, President and Hillary Rodham Clinton will likely ``get to the church, and then leave'' with as little fanfare as possible, Enright said.
``We don't want our security and how we protect the president to diminish what's going on with the funeral,'' Enright said. ``We're viewing ourselves as part of a bigger issue here.''
Enright noted, ``We don't do this by ourselves. We have to rely on Providence police, state police, Warwick police and Cranston police. We can't do this without their support,'' which he called, ``excellent.'' And, he also noted that Senator Chafee's office staff had been ``terrific.''
IN HIS OFFICE in the Federal Building on Westminster Street yesterday, Enright outlined a few of the details.
As is the case wherever the president travels, a command post has been set up at an undisclosed location in Providence, as a communications link and congregation point for security personnel.
The limousines and other vehicles in the presidential motorcade will be flown into Rhode Island aboard a military transport plane, he said.
To allow for that motorcade, state police are planning to close Route 95 to all other traffic but for as brief a period as possible.
Security risks are assessed and dealt with ahead of time, for instance, such as ``the chance of coming across hazardous materials'' as the presidential motorcade is en route. Rooftops are checked. Sharp-shooters are posted.
All local police departments are put on notice to be mindful of any recent threats.
In general, ``we have a heightened awareness to everything going on in the state,'' regarding any bomb threats, or innocuous threats ``against the president or anyone else,'' Enright said. ``We don't take anything for granted.''
AT STATE POLICE headquarters, Messier was still hammering details into place, including ``setting up assignments, making sure all the bases are covered.''
For instance, said Messier, it needs to be determined ``who is the lead cruiser, who is the tail cruiser'' in the presidential motorcade; who will be assigned to shut down the ramps on Route 95, and for how long; and where local police departments participating in the ceremony must park (on Canal Street).
For security reasons, the Secret Service does not disclose the exact arrival time of the president, so it is still unclear when traffic restrictions will be put into place.
Meanwhile, Providence Police Lt. Keith Tucker was working on downtown traffic details.
``We're still not sure how far we're going to block off the streets'' surrounding the motorcade route, or the church itself, said Tucker.
``Parking will be restricted,'' Tucker said. ``There will be some parking lots open downtown'' for the public. And, he added, there were no plans as of yesterday to restrict sidewalk viewing, ``until you get close to the church.
``I would say that the number of factors involved, and the people who are coming,'' said Tucker, ``definitely it ranks up there with the big ones. A president's visit, by itself, is a big one. But we can't lose sight that this is a funeral.''
With pragmatism, Tucker added, ``This all gradually falls into place.''
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