Charlotte readies for Democratic National Convention security

CORRECTION: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that Mike Schoonmaker was a UNC-C police officer. He is now director of security for Mecklenburg County. The story also incorrectly stated that library closings meant employees could be moved to one of 19 other locations. There are actually 18 other library locations. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

As the Charlotte area prepares to host the Democratic National Convention this fall, city officials are preparing for the increased traffic that will accompany President Barack Obama’s arrival.

Security for the convention will combine the efforts of the Secret Service, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the N.C. Department of Transportation, said Patsy Kinsey, a member of the Charlotte City Council.

Few details concerning the joint force’s plans have been released due to security concerns, Kinsey said.

“Because of the location of the event, (the area) will be easy to secure. They are going to try their very best to minimize impact,” she said.

But several buildings and schools in Charlotte’s uptown area might be affected by the security concerns surrounding the convention.

Jeff Lowrance, spokesman for Central Piedmont Community College, said the college will be taking the week off during the convention to minimize traffic concerns.

Suspending classes for the DNC will not be a problem because the college has already adjusted its academic calendar, he said.

“Students, faculty and staff will be thankful to avoid the traffic,” he said.

Lowrance added that facilities on the college’s central campus might serve as a security hub for officials during the convention.

ImaginOn, a center that houses a branch of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library and a children’s theater, will also be closing for the duration of the DNC.

The library’s Board of Trustees consulted with Michael Schoonmaker, director of security for Mecklenburg County, in October before making the decision to close for the convention. Schoonmaker was a police officer at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City.

Cordelia Anderson, spokeswoman for the library, said the closing would not affect the library’s operations since employees will simply relocate to one of the 18 other branches in the library system.

Convention attendees will not likely be the demographic the library and theater normally cater to, she said.

“People that are coming to the DNC don’t bring their families, so there won’t be a market for children’s play or activities,” she said.

Kinsey said the Charlotte area will be notified as soon as possible about the DNC’s security plans.

“They aren’t telling us a lot, understandably so,” she said.

Contact the State and National Editor at state@dailytarheel.com.