The Boston Globe, July 2024
The assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump during a Pennsylvania rally Saturday will likely mean tighter security screenings for political rallies, demonstrations, and other large events, amid a ratcheting of political tensions across the nation leading into the contentious November election. For political rallies and other events involving elected leaders, those measures could include wider perimeters to check for weapons, a heavier law enforcement presence, and greater use of unmanned drones to assist with surveillance, according to Ed Davis, a former Boston police commissioner.
Davis said additional security will likely be implemented in Provincetown on Saturday, when Vice President Kamala Harris comes to Massachusetts for a fund-raiser. “It’s clear to me that the very first thing that will happen is the perimeters will be expanded. The security bubble that they put in place will have to be larger than it has in the past,” said Davis, who led the department through the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt for the bombers and now operates his own security firm.
