Officers from the Chicago Police Department are getting extra training for two days in preparation for the Democratic National Convention in August.
Chicago police have been training since March, but this week they will learn new ways to deal with assaults and attacks, how to use body shields, how to protect the public, and how to get rid of anyone who is hurt.
For the August convention, all cops are getting some kind of training. But 2,500 officers will be getting “tier one training,” which is only used for more dangerous situations.
The Democratic National Convention will be held at Chicago’s United Center from August 19th to 22nd. About 50,000 people are expected to attend, and there will be a lot of protests.
Superintendent of Police Larry Snelling said that his officers are ready to deal with large groups of protesters. He also said that they have learned new ways to deal with the possibility of arresting a lot of people at once.
“We won’t stand for this violence.” “We will not stand for the damage,” Snelling said. “We will not allow people to come into the city to destroy it and leave.”
This week, Snelling said at a news gathering with U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, “Make no mistake, we are ready.”
More than 50 groups are planning to protest in Chicago, which has refused to let people hold rallies near the United Center convention center. This has led to lawsuits, and groups have said they will march even if they don’t have permits.
Thursday, Chicago police let the media watch short clips of field training drills for officers. These included the line-relief process, a method for quickly replacing officers.
As plans are made for the gathering, Chicago is still dealing with rising crime. Chicago police data show that murder went up 23%, robberies went up 38%, thefts went up 41%, and car thefts went up 227% between 2019 and 2023.
Source of information: FOX News