CLEVELAND (AP) – Rising tensions after the deadly ambush of police officers in Dallas and subsequent protests nationwide have led Cleveland and Philadelphia to adjust security plans for the national political conventions this month.
Cleveland, where the Republican National Convention is to begin Monday, has moved up by a week the activation of a tip line for reporting suspicious activity, Police Chief Calvin Williams said. Security plans have been “ramped up” because of the Dallas shootings last week, which killed five officers and wounded nine others at the end of a march to protest the fatal shooting of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, he said.
“We’re going to make sure we stay vigilant,” Williams said. “But we also want to make sure that we ask the community to remain vigilant.”
There have been no credible reports of threats against officers in Cleveland or the surrounding region, Williams said. But adding to concerns over security is Ohio’s status as an “open carry” state, meaning it’s legal to carry a gun in the open without a permit. One supporter of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, has already asked Cleveland march participants to be mindful of the message that openly carrying might convey.
“We really don’t want people to bring long guns,” said Tim Selaty Sr., lead organizer for Citizens for Trump.