CHARLOTTE, n.c. — Two miles of concrete barriers. More than 5 miles of 9-foot “anti-scale” steel fence.
Nearly 8 miles of lightweight metal barriers and portable vehicle barriers designed to withstand the impact of a 15,000-pound car at 50 mph.
These are some of the items the Secret Service is seeking to protect the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, according to a federal government contract request released this week.
The Secret Service’s proposal lists four Charlotte sites that will be secured for the convention, to be held Sept. 4-7.
Three of the sites are Time Warner Cable Arena, which will host the first two days of the DNC; Bank of America Stadium, the site of President Barack Obama’s potential acceptance speech; and the Charlotte Convention Center, which will host the media.
The fourth site is an empty warehouse near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The Secret Service request doesn’t say who will use the building.
Secret Service spokesman Max Milien declined to discuss specifics about security plans. “Our goal is to minimize the impact on the city,” he said. “We have to weigh the accessibility with our security procedures.”
Time Warner Cable Arena will be protected by nearly 11,000 feet of bike-rack-style barriers; nearly 1 mile of concrete barriers; additional barriers with fencing; and nearly 2 miles of 9-foot anti-scale fencing. In addition, there will be 17 anti-climb vehicle gates and hydraulic bollards, to restrict vehicles from entering certain streets.
The Secret Service details some of the specifications it needs from its equipment. For instance, some portable vehicle barriers must be able to meet a State Department requirement that it sustain a 15,000-pound vehicle at 50 mph. That standard is meant to protect embassies.
