Chicago Police Department Got Itself a New Toy for the DNC
"CPD helicopters are particularly helpful when it comes to monitoring crowds and large-scale events," the city's mayor Brandon Johnson said on Friday. OK!
Photo: Screenshot Latest Democratic National Convention
On Friday, the Chicago Police Department debuted a brand new toy: an $11 million helicopter that will soon serve as additional suppression security for the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off Monday—more specifically, for the masses projected to protest the state-sanctioned genocide in Gaza.
Throughout the week, innumerable demonstrations—from marches to vigils—for Palestinian liberation and against all U.S. military aid to Israel are set to take place in Chicago. Tens of thousands of people are expected to participate in the action. Though many contingents of those currently feeling “betrayed by the Democratic Party” are traveling to the city from out of state, the Chicago area is also home to the largest Palestinian population in the country. Strict security protocol has been implemented outside the United Center and McCormick Place, where most of the events will take place.
Purchased with a portion of the whopping $75 million in federal security funding given to the city ahead of the convention, the twin-engine Bell 429 is not only the department’s first new helicopter since 2006, but, the first of three reported to arrive before the end of 2024 as part of a separate $12 million deal. The latter contract is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and includes training for pilots.