Police watch warehouse, other sites

From Dennis Roddy:

Police have spent several weeks maintaining surveillance on a variety of protest groups and keeping watch over a warehouse where they believe some protesters have stored equipment they plan to use to disrupt the G-20 summit, sources said.

Both federal and local law enforcement sources said a protest group leased warehouse space in the city in mid-summer to assemble various devices, including so-called "sleeping dragons" used to link protesters together by their arms inside reinforced plastic pipe. The devices have proven effective in keeping blocks of people together during blockades at intersections.

Deputy Police Chief Paul Donaldson, in a statement to the Post-Gazette last night confirmed that several groups and locations are currently under surveillance.

"The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police are performing surveillance activities at numerous locations throughout the area. I cannot confirm or reveal any specific location, but I can ensure you that any Search/Seizure in conjunction with these operations, are lawful," the statement said.

At least one location along Dargan Street in Bloomfield, almost directly beneath the Bloomfield Bridge, received police attention in the past week, according to neighbors.

Police cars sealed off the street as police searched the area around a warehouse there.

Managers at an adjacent business said they were surprised earlier this week when they arrived to find their doors unlocked, a 500-pound sliding steel door to the back room opened and no evidence that the alarm in the building had gone off.

One federal source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said state and federal agents became aware of several warehouse leases in late summer. The source said it was unusual that the groups had decided to lease warehouse space because they ordinarily take over abandoned industrial buildings for the task, but that the existence of a legal lease made a raid harder for police who would likely need a warrant.