After the mass shooting of police officers in Dallas, concerns will likely grow about law enforcement’s ability to keep a lid on the combustible protests poised to descend upon the GOP convention in Cleveland.
All of the elements needed to spark a violent uprising will be present when the GOP convention kicks off on July 18. Some of Donald Trump’s delegates to the convention have said they intend to arrive in town with guns and a white nationalist group involved in a bloody brawl at the California Capitol last month has promised to defend the Trump supporters from “leftist thugs.”
Large protests are expected, which will likely complicate federal, state and local officials’ ability to manage the situation. Thomas Lekan, a security consultant in Ohio who has worked with Cleveland law enforcement in anticipation of the convention, said he believes the long-term preparation for the convention makes Cleveland well-situated to handle security risks.
“We could see violence, we could see things get out of hand, but [law enforcement is] well-trained and well-prepared to do this,” Lekan said. “If there is violence, it’ll be quelled quickly.”
Lekan said Cleveland has some advantages over a city such as Dallas for security professionals to utilize. Aside from the long-term planning for securing the convention, Lekan said Cleveland is a more compact city, which makes policing easier. He said he expects much of the city’s workforce to work from home, avoid the area near the convention hall, or go on vacation, meaning the influx of people could be offset by those getting out of town.
But local law enforcement has publicly expressed reservation about likely protests outside the convention hall. Cleveland Deputy Police Chief Wayne Drummond told USA Today the hostile tone that appears at Trump’s campaign events has caused him some “concern,” but he added that local law enforcement had learned from watching such skirmishes unfold.
And the City of Cleveland appears to be stockpiling the gear necessary to conduct mass arrests, if necessary. As the Washington Examiner previously reported, the city placed bids for 2,000 sets of riot gear, 10,000 sets of plastic handcuffs, eight sets of mounted night vision goggles, 15 motorcycles and a horse trailer.
With little more than a week to go until the convention gets underway, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams announced on Facebook that police received much of the purchased equipment already. His post noted that approximately one-third of the “members of the Division of Police” will be assigned duties regarding the Republican National Convention, and he delivered a message specifically directed at them.
“I ask that throughout the course of the event, that you remain committed to the well-being of one another as days will be long and the work will be challenging,” Williams wrote. “We will work well as a team and with our partners, as we always do.”
He continued, “This is an exciting time for our great city. This is a [sic] historic event and another in the line of recent and we believe future large scale events. I am looking forward to a safe event and I thank you for your support.”
In addition to the local resources helping to keep Cleveland safe, federal law enforcement plays the lead role in keeping the convention under control. The federal government designated the convention as a National Special Security Event, which makes the U.S. Secret Service the lead agency in charge of coordinating the federal, state and local law enforcement on the ground.
The unknown factor that may determine whether the powder keg outside the convention hall ignites, however, may end up being what the GOP’s presumptive nominee says inside the convention hall. Trump has previously advised his supporters to “knock the crap out of” protesters at his events. Whether he repeats this advice in Cleveland or urges his supporters to remain calm in the face of any disturbances remains to be seen.
