John F. Kennedy on Crime

Warned before assassination to avoid Dallas as too dangerous

Kennedy was rash when it came to security. Before his trip to Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, he received warnings about possible violence there. UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson called a Kennedy aide and urged him to tell the president not to go to Dallas. He said he had just given a speech in Dallas and had been confronted by demonstrators who'd cursed at him and spat on him. Sen. Fulbright also warned Kennedy. "Dallas is a very dangerous place. I wouldn't go there. Don't you go." Source: In the President`s Secret Service, by Ron Kessler, p. 12-13 , Jun 29, 2009

After assassination, Secret Service bolstered security

Before a presidential trip, at least eight agents fly to the intended destination. That is in contrast to the two-man advance team sent for Pres. Kennedy's trip to Dallas. Back then, the Secret Service had about 300 special agents, compared with 3,404 today.

In contrast to the cursory look given to Kennedy's planned Dallas parade route, the Secret Service's Forensic Services Division now creates virtual 3-dimensional models of buildings along a motorcade route so that agents will know what to expect and can plan what to do at spots where the motorcade may be more vulnerable to attack.

In contrast to the open car Pres. Kennedy used, the presidential limousine now is a closed vehicle. Known affectionately as "the Beast," the 2009 Cadillac now in use was put into service for Barack Obama's inauguration. The Beast lives up to its moniker: the vehicle is armor-plated & can take a direct hit from a bazooka or grenade. The car's doors are eighteen inches thick, and its windows are five inches thick.

Source: In the President`s Secret Service, by R. Kessler, p. 65-8&81 , Jun 29, 2009

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