Officers with the Chicago Police Department are undergoing two days of specialized training ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August.
While Chicago police have been undergoing training since March, officers this week will learn specialized tactics to handle assaults and attacks, the use of body shields, protecting the public and removing anyone who is injured.
All officers are undergoing some type of training for the August convention, but 2,500 officers will be taking “tier one training,” which is specifically deployed for more volatile incidents.
The Democratic National Convention will be held at Chicago’s United Center on Aug. 19-22 and is expected to draw an estimated 50,000 visitors and massive protests.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said his officers are fully prepared to handle crowds of protesters. He said they’ve also learned new ways to handle possible mass arrests.
“We will not tolerate the violence. We will not tolerate the vandalism,” Snelling said. “We will not allow people to come into the city to destroy it and leave.”
Speaking at a news conference alongside U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle this week, Snelling said, “Make no mistake, we are ready.”
More than 50 organizations plan to protest in Chicago, which has denied permits for demonstrations near the United Center convention site, sparking lawsuits and groups vowing to march whether or not they have permits.
Chicago police on Thursday allowed the media to see snippets of field training exercises for officers, such as the line-relief process, a tactic in which officers are quickly replaced.
The preparation for the convention comes as Chicago continues to deal with rising crime. Between 2019 and 2023, murder increased 23%, robbery increased 38%, thefts increased 41% and motor vehicle thefts increased 227%, according to Chicago police statistics.
Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
