CLEVELAND — On the first day of the Republican National Convention, police from several states, including Michigan State Police troopers, will beef up the ranks of the city's own police force to provide security. There are security concerns for two reasons: recent shootings of police officers and expected political demonstrations.
"We're here to provide security and crowd management," said MSP Inspector Jim Shaw, a member of Michigan's state police contingent in Cleveland. The killing of eight police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge will, however, be on their minds. "Our troopers' awareness will be higher as a result of these shootings," Shaw said.
The city's reception has impressed the troopers. "As we walked to a briefing today, people were coming over to shake our hands and thank us for being here," said Shaw. "The City of Cleveland just opened up their arms for us, and we sure appreciate it."
More than 100 Michigan state troopers were sworn in over the weekend as acting Cleveland police officers.
