U.S. Secret Service Media Relations
June 4, 2024
Secret Service Director Participates in DNC Briefing with Public Safety Partners
CHICAGO – U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle met with Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling and public safety professionals from throughout the region June 4, 2024, to discuss the security plan for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.After the meeting, Director Cheatle toured the United Center, following a McCormick Place tour the previous day. These two sites will be at the center of the 2024 DNC, which runs from Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
The site visits were part of a comprehensive overview of the security plans, which included a meeting of the 2024 DNC executive steering committee. The security plan for National Special Security Events (NSSE), including the 2024 DNC, is developed and approved through this committee, which comprises representatives from supporting Federal, state and local agencies.
As part of this process, subcommittees that focus on a particular area of the overall security plan are formed, including traffic management, business and community impact, crisis management and airspace security. These subcommittees provide frequent updates and briefings to the executive steering committee.
“Chicago is my hometown, and I am eager to see the people and places that make this city wonderful on full display throughout the Democratic National Convention,” Director Kimberly Cheatle said. “Creating a security plan for the DNC is a team sport, and the Secret Service is working with every team member to develop a comprehensive strategy.”
“With two months left until the convention, the Chicago Police Department is finalizing plans and making sure all of our operations are set. Make no mistake, we are ready,” said Superintendent Snelling. “Constitutional policing and the First Amendment are the foundation of everything we are doing from policies to training.”
The 2024 DNC will mark the Secret Service's 79th National Special Security Event (NSSE). Since 1998, the agency has been entrusted with planning, coordinating, and implementing security operations for such high-profile events, which also include the U.N. General Assembly, the State of the Union Address, and presidential inaugurations.
For more information regarding the public safety efforts for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, please visit the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management’s website at www.Chicago.gov/OEMC.
To view the full press conference, please visit https://youtu.be/xtWedIjyG4g.