(Newser)
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Apparently, Charlotte is expecting trouble when the Democratic National Convention comes to town—or at least preparing for the possibility. Charlotte’s police department is already stocking up on riot gear and training officers in riot-control techniques in preparation for the event, WSOC TV reports. Though the city already has a few hundred trained riot police, it’s now training almost every officer for the duty.
The federal government will pick up the tab for all that training and gear—in past years, cities hosting the DNC have gotten about $50 million in grants for that purpose, police said. The police also offered WSOC a behind-the-scenes look at riot training, stressing that they were preparing “a very controlled, measured response.” Officers, for example, are trained to advance on crowds a half step at a time, to give people time to comply with their commands.
