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Superintendent Larry Snelling said an additional 500 officers
will be in the city for the DNC.
“So this will help us free up our Chicago Police officers to
make sure that they’re available to respond to any crimes that
are happening outside of the DNC footprint,” Snelling said.
Snelling was asked if the assassination attempt against the
former president would prompt Snelling to ask for additional
resources on top of the $75 million in taxpayer funds already
provided by the federal government.
“Our planning around this is simply about safety: safety for
everyone in the city. So, right now, I don’t think this is the
time to start looking at the need for more resources,” Snelling
said.
When asked about dealing with protesters, Snelling said
officers' training is rooted in the First and Fourth Amendments
of the U.S. Constitution.
Police have been preparing for months along with the Secret
Service and other federal agencies for the convention, which is
scheduled from Aug 19-22.
Snelling said his department’s collaboration with the Secret
Service has been great.
“One thing that we don’t do here is second guess what the Secret
Service’s plans are,” Snelling stated.
The superintendent said his department has not had
communications issues with the Secret Service like the ones
reported in Pennsylvania before the assassination attempt
against Trump.
“So we have been planning for these types of things, and I can
say that our partnership with the Secret Service has been
extremely strong,” Snelling said.
This year marks the 12th time Chicago has hosted the DNC.
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