Republican National Convention by the numbers: How Cleveland is planning city security
National political conventions, by their very nature, set the stage for shenanigans that elevate security concerns.
For example, nearly 2,000 protestors, bystanders, legal observers and journalists were arrested when New York City hosted the Republican National Convention in 2004. Then in 2008, police fired tear gas during clashes with protestors at the RNC in St. Paul, Minn.
As the election cycle funnels toward the Republican National Convention to be held in Cleveland in July, consider the following factors that have some fearing a summer pressure-cooker scenario.
Donald Trump, the boisterous GOP presumptive nominee, predicted trouble if he’s denied the party’s nomination in July. “I think you’d have riots. I think you’d have riots,” Trump said on national television in February.
The Secret Service recently had to squash the attempts of nearly 55,000 people who signed a petition to allow the open carrying of firearms inside Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena during the convention.
The host city, recently ranked as one of the most dangerous in the U.S., is still reeling from the 2014 fatal police shooting of a 12-year-old Tamir Rice, and Cleveland’s police force is now operating under court-ordered federal guardianship due to allegations of racial bias and the use of excessive force.
Citing security concerns, city officials have been pretty tight-lipped about their plans to keep order when an estimated 50,000 conventioneers and demonstrators descend on downtown Cleveland between July 18 and 21.
But public records and other documents reveal the city is stockpiling supplies to prepare for the rowdiest possible scenarios, amassing thousands of riot suits and miles of barricades.
Here’s our breakdown by the numbers:
4,000-plus officers
About 600 of the Cleveland Division of Police’s 1,600 officers will be assigned to the convention, with another 3,500 officers on loan from agencies across the country. One solicitation requested 240 tactical officers and three armored S.W.A.T. vehicles. “They want Mobile Field Force officers so they have the option of deploying them if events get out of hand,” an official with an Illinois law enforcement consortium wrote in August.
2,000 riot-gear suits
Cleveland will spend $565,440 on an estimated 2,000 police riot suits. A city invitation for bids requested the suits be as good or better than the latest design from HWI Gear, Inc., a top manufacturer. The Elite Defender “riot suit is built with a special suspension hard shell design which maximizes shock absorption and protection,” the maker says in promotional materials.
$10 million for protest insurance
In late March, Cleveland approved paying $1.5 million for an insurance broker to assess the city’s risks and help it obtain a “law enforcement liability insurance policy.” A contract seeking police reinforcements says the coverage limit is $10 million. New York City paid nearly $18 million to settle hundreds of federal civil lawsuits brought by people who said they were unfairly arrested during the 2004 RNC. Since then, other host cities — like St. Paul, Tampa and Charlotte — have invested in protest insurance.
100 bulletproof vests for firefighters
Cleveland firefighters want protection too. Officials plan to buy them 100 vests to guard against ballistic threats. The model requested offers “the highest blunt trauma protection rating in soft body armor,” according to Bullet Proof Me. “The best for very high-risk situations to cover more of the uncommon or unusual threats.”
3.7 miles of steel barricades
According to a solicitation for bids, the host city wants nearly 4 miles of interlocking barriers to be set up in and around Quicken Loans Arena, home of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
2,000 tactical batons
More than $283,000 will go towards acquiring 2,000 police batons that extend to 26 inches. “With this expandable baton, you can feel the kinetic surge as this baton snaps to attention,” according to a CopsPlus.com review. “Even the sound of opening it commands attention.”
300 police bicycles
Cleveland’s plan calls for $386,800 to purchase 300 new police bicycles and armored riding jackets like those made for competitive off-road cyclists. One reviewer called it the “ultimate battle suit.”
24 ballistic helmets, vest shields and other gear
Nearly $107,000 is being spent for two dozen ballistic helmets, vest shields and related accessories. The desired helmet offers the same level of protection as the U.S. Army enhanced combat helmet, according to the manufacturer.
Who pays for all this? We all do. Since 2000, the federal government has deemed presidential nominating conventions to be potential targets for terrorism or other criminal activity. Calling the conventions “National Special Security Events,” Congress approved $50 million to fund each the 2016 host cities, Cleveland and Philadelphia. Cleveland officials have said their federal funds includes $20 million for food, housing, material and equipment, and $30 million for travel, salaries and overtime for the personnel.
“We are confident that the Cleveland Police Department will ensure that everyone is safe and free to exercise their constitutional rights of free speech,” Cleveland City Council President Kevin J. Kelley recently said.
Jason Sickles is a national reporter for Yahoo News. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickles).
