Chicago police receive training on protest management during the DNC

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago police are receiving fresh training in coping with large-scale protests and First Amendment rights ahead of anticipated demonstrations during this summer’s Democratic National Convention, Superintendent Larry Snelling said Wednesday.

“Everything we do is rooted in constitutional policing,” Snelling told reporters at a news conference announcing security preparations. “We need to be sure we keep the peace. We is not going to tolerate violence.”

Thousands of elected officials and activists are expected to descend on the country’s third-largest city from August 19-22. Snelling, Mayor Brandon Johnson and emergency management officials said they’re finalizing traffic and safety plans around each the United Center and McCormick Place Convention Center.

Snelling said the Chicago Police Department has checked out other large-scale events which have occurred in the city to see what worked, including the 2012 NATO summit.

Chicago police generally received high marks for his or her handling of NATO protests. For the DNC, Snelling said the department would again use police on bicycles and officers in “soft” or loose-fitting uniforms.

Chicago police, meanwhile, faced heavy criticism for being unprepared after the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis as civil unrest erupted across the country. In the months that followed, greater than 500 complaints were filed against Chicago police as many peaceful protests degenerated into chaos and destruction.

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Snelling, who became police chief last 12 months, said people gathering in Chicago abruptly is a special situation than a convention where protesters are limited to specific areas and must obtain permits. However, he admitted that the department had failed in 2020.

“Our officers were not trained to deal with these types of situations,” he said.

Chicago last hosted the DNC in 1996.

A month earlier, Republicans gather for a convention in Milwaukee.