Current:Home > MarketsChicago police chief highlights officer training as critical to Democratic convention security-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Chicago police chief highlights officer training as critical to Democratic convention security
View Date:2024-12-23 22:46:30
▶ Follow the AP’s live coverage of the 2024 election
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling is touting extensive officer training as a critical part of the city’s preparations for the Democratic National Convention next week.
Roughly 50,000 people are expected in Chicago for the convention, including thousands of anti-war activists who plan to demonstrate near the United Center where Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination.
Snelling maintained that the Chicago Police Department — working alongside federal law enforcement agencies — is prepared to deal with large crowds and any security concerns.
“There’s a possibility that things could take a turn. Something could happen that we don’t expect,” Snelling told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “We know that our officers can respond in a professional manner with training behind them. They’ll be more effective in decision making. And then the response becomes greater and better.”
Officers in the nation’s second-largest police force have undergone constitutional policing and de-escalation training over the past year. A smaller group of officers has received specialized instruction on responding to civil unrest and riots. Dozens of outside agencies who will help help secure the convention sites will also receive about 16 hours of training on Chicago policies, Snelling said.
Chicago leaders traveled to Milwaukee for last month’s Republican National Convention to observe and learn things to apply to security at the Democratic convention.
In contrast, Milwaukee officers received no additional training specific to the convention, according to Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, and city police did not maintain a big presence during the largest demonstration on the convention’s opening day.
Nonetheless, security at the Republican convention site was very tight, coming days after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
The use of outside law enforcement agencies in Milwaukee came under fierce scrutiny, however, after Ohio police fatally shot a man armed with a knife at a park not far from the convention. Also, police arrested a man carrying a backpack that contained an AK-47-style pistol outside the convention perimeter.
Snelling declined to discuss specific examples of changes the department would make because of Milwaukee, but he said people trying to bring weapons to the site was among the issues addressed in the officers’ training.
“Obviously there were things that occurred in Milwaukee that could still occur here, but our officers are prepared to deal with those situations,” Snelling said. “Those are the things that we’re paying attention to. Because if we’re not, this is where things could go wrong.”
veryGood! (813)
Related
- Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
- Visitors flock to see Michelangelo's David sculpture after school uproar in Florida
- Excerpts from the works of the 2023 Whiting Award winners
- La Santa Cecilia celebrates its quinceañera with a new album
- Pie, meet donuts: Krispy Kreme releases Thanksgiving pie flavor ahead of holidays
- The story behind the sports betting boom
- 'John Wick: Chapter 4' wonders, 'When does this all end?'
- Gwyneth Paltrow appears in a Utah court for a trial over a 2016 ski crash
- A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome
- If you want to up your yogurt game, this Iranian cookbook will show you the whey
Ranking
- As US Catholic bishops meet, Trump looms over their work on abortion and immigration
- 'Wait Wait' for April 15, 2023: With Not My Job guest Kaila Mullady
- Pipeline sabotage is on the agenda in this action-packed eco-heist film
- Afroman put home footage of a police raid in music videos. Now the cops are suing him
- Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
- 'The Big Door Prize' asks: How would you live if you knew your life's potential?
- 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' has lost some magic
- Selena Gomez's Pre-Flight Beauty Routine Will Influence Your Next Travel Day
Recommendation
-
Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55M in time for 2026 season, per report
-
Stranger Things' David Harbour Shares Heartfelt Reaction to Noah Schnapp's Coming Out
-
Kelsea Ballerini’s Ex-Husband Morgan Evans Says She's Not Sharing “Reality”
-
Kim Kardashian and North West Team Up With Mariah Carey and Daughter Monroe for Must-See TikTok
-
Tennessee fugitive accused of killing a man and lying about a bear chase is caught in South Carolina
-
16 Frequently Used Household Items You're Probably Forgetting To Replace
-
An ode to playlists, the perfect kind of sonic diary
-
'Wait Wait' for March 25, 2023: Live from Tucson!