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 In addition to the National Guard, police officers from across the
state could be called on to restore order if protests get out of
hand, Nixon told a news conference.
A decision by the grand jury is expected in mid-to-late November.
The August shooting of Michael Brown, 18, by Darren Wilson sparked a
national debate on race relations and led to weeks of street
demonstrations. Some groups have threatened extensive protests if
the officer is not charged with a crime.
"That ugliness was not representative of Missouri and it cannot be
repeated," Nixon said.
"These measures are not being taken because we are convinced that
violence will occur, but because we have a responsibility to prepare
for any contingency," he said.
Nixon said 1,000 police officers had undergone more than 5,000 hours
of specialized training ahead of the grand jury decision.
 Some businesses in Ferguson have boarded up windows and made plans
for protecting themselves and their property if protests ignite into
violence.
State and local police, who were decked out in riot gear and fired
rubber bullets into crowds during demonstrations after the shooting,
have come under criticism for what many saw as a heavy-handed
response that made a volatile situation worse.
Police have said they came under attack by some protesters who
wielded weapons and gasoline bombs.
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The American Civil Liberties Union and National Lawyers Guild said
they plan to deploy observers to the scene after the grand jury
decision to make sure police are not violating civil liberties.
The Ferguson-Florissant School District, which had to delay the
start of the school year due to protests in August, has reviewed
contingency plans in case there are serious protests and schools
have to dismiss students early for safety reasons.
Rumors of an impending decision on the indictment have flooded
social media for days, prompting St. Louis County Prosecuting
Attorney Robert McCulloch on Monday to reiterate his expectation
that the grand jury would not make a decision until mid-to-late
November.
(Reporting by Carey Gillam in Kansas City, Missouri, Jason McClure
in St. Louis, Fiona Ortiz in Chicago and David Bailey in
Minneapolis; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott and
Eric Beech)
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