Security tightened for Bud Billiken parade

Amid heightened concern over a recent surge in homicides and a fatal shooting at the Taste of Chicago, Chicago Police yesterday outlined a plan for increased security at Saturday's Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic on the  South Side.

The parade, one of the largest in the country, began as a local newspaper founder's efforts to do something for the children who sold the paper and has evolved into a family-centered celebration of the African American community.

At a press conference called to discuss security for the event, Superintendent Jody Weis and parade officials said the event will include more officers, more barricades, and more restrictions on vendors. More than 1.2 million are expected to attend the event, police said.

But Weis, who faced criticism from aldermen last monthover rising violence and the fatal shooting outside the Taste of Chicago during the Fourth of July weekend, cautioned reporters against reading too much into recent reports of a homicide surge in July. 

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