10-4: Keeping the Peace in Charlotte 24/7

One of the top jobs in Charlotte this week had to be in the country's fast-growing security industry.  To be fair, the city was hosting a political convention headed by the US President, which demanded its own level of secret service security.  Alongside the triple S corps, we learned that 4000 police and security officers, plus sheriffs, deputies, Homeland Security officials, and the NC National Guard, were enlisted for the week.  Police teams came from the Charlotte area and around the country -- Chicago, Milwaukee, Louisville, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Myrtle Beach, New York, Richmond, among others -- and they were everywhere 24/7.  On foot, on bikes, on horseback, in patrol cars, in helicopters.  They rode around, rested in alley ways, flanked demonstrations, controlled access to streets, hotels, and public buildings, arrested drunks and disorderly citizens, and creatively directed traffic on main streets.  Even I had a brief moment of Zen with a young officer at the illegal immigrant demonstration we saw.  As things heated up, and police were preparing to arrest the illegals, I hustled around trying to get good position for photos.  A young officer, one of about 100 on the scene, barked at me to step on the crowded sidewalk, and out of a closed-to-traffic street.  I looked down at my feet, no more than 12 inches from the sidewalk as he ordered me to move.  I looked him in the eye.  He looked half my age, which he was.  I asked him if he was serious.  He nodded.  I asked him to please let me do my job (people took me for a photo journalist), and pointed out that the sidewalk was packed (with cops mostly, I pointed out).  There was nowhere to go, and my 12 inches of street were in no one's way.  He repeated his order.   I sighed and complied:  Lucky me.  As I swung through the sidewalk crowd, I nearly bumped into an encircled Rosario Dawson, the actress who had come to support the rally.  Despite my good fortune, the presence of so many cops was unnerving, foreshadowing some kind of police state. By week's end, you had the feeling they were getting restless, ready to arrest anyone, even each other.  The Charlotte sheriff chasing the Georgia cop chasing the Chicago patrolman chasing the Richmond police on bikes chasing the Carolina park patrol on horseback chasing the state National Guardsman in camouflaged Hummers. It could happen, you know.... (Top photo Charlotte Observer)