When Vice President Kamala Harris visited Glencoe on May 16, it came with a long list of steps to be taken to ensure her safety.
The challenge didn’t trouble Glencoe Public Safety Director Sean Loughran. Instead, it invigorated him.
“The little kid in me always gets a kick out of these things because there are so many parts,” Loughran said. “I get all geeked up over it.”
On that Thursday afternoon, Harris arrived in Glencoe as she went to a Sheridan Road home for a political fundraiser. Her appearance culminated days of planning for Loughran in combination with a series of other law enforcement agencies.
“It was very impressive how everyone stepped to it,” he said. “There is no way we could have pulled that off without that mutual assistance.”
Loughran said his department started getting general indications about three weeks in advance that Harris might be coming to Glencoe for a quick visit. Then on May 8, the department received a formal request for enhanced support for the visit from the U.S. Secret Service. While they provided generalities of the trip, the specific routes she would be going on were still unclear as plans had yet to be finalized.
“There was only so much you can prepare for at that point,” he recalled.
While Loughran had to deal with some unknowns, he had nearly 30 of years of experience to rely on. Prior to his hiring in Glencoe last October, Loughran worked for the Chicago Police rising through the ranks and finishing up as deputy chief where he oversaw security for large events.
With word of the Harris visit, Loughran soon contacted with his former colleagues.
“I felt like it was very beneficial to Glencoe because there wasn’t as steep as a learning curve,” he said. “It was very good that I was where I was in Chicago because I had direct knowledge of all their capabilities and I knew what to expect and what to ask for.”
Loughran was tasked with overseeing the law enforcement effort for what village officials believe is the first visit to Glencoe by either a sitting president or vice president since 1978 when President Jimmy Carter attended a fundraiser at the one time FCC Commissioner Newton Minow’s house for local Congressman Abner Mikva.
Working directly with the U.S. Secret Service, Chicago Police and the Illinois State Police, Loughran spearheaded an effort that included a meeting of roughly 100 people at the Glencoe Park District’s Takiff Center including some public works employees ahead of the event.
Finally, on May 12, he received final confirmation that Harris was coming and he enlisted the assistance of other agencies of many different law enforcement agencies including neighboring communities of Northbrook, Highland Park, Winnetka and as far away as Berwyn.
“It was a tremendous show of support from every agency within sight and sound of Glencoe,” Loughran said. “Everybody really gave what they could.”
After Harris stopped off in Milwaukee earlier that day, she flew down to O’ Hare Airport and took the lengthy route to Glencoe with Lake-Cook Road as the main entry into the village.
With North Shore Congregation Israel and Lake Shore Country Club utilized as staging areas, there were at one point 250 officers in the area.
Loughran said police were prepared for the presence of protesters but that did not materialize. The only problems he encountered were related to traffic disruptions for local residents. He expressed regret about that but added couldn’t reveal the routes for the Harris entourage.
Village President Howard Roin offered a similar sentiment.
“We were pleased to help accomplish this with as little disruption as possible, although there was disruption, just to make sure it was safe for everybody,” he said.
When Harris took off from O’ Hare, Loughran was pleased everything went smoothly.
“You really do get to see some absolute professionalism performed by your public safety guys and gals,” he said.
He thought the Harris visit could serve as a good training opportunity for the future, which could be as soon as this summer. He said it was possible Glencoe officers could be asked to assist in security at either of the upcoming Democratic or Republican National Committee convention set to be held in Chicago and Milwaukee respectively.
“We gave it a max effort and we got them out there,” he said. “I wanted to get our people involved in every step of the way for next time.”
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
