The Republican presidential primary drama could mean both good and bad news for Cleveland when it hosts the GOP convention in July. The rise of controversial candidate Donald Trump might mean the week-long event will run longer than scheduled if party leaders contest his possible nomination. WKSU’s Kevin Niedermier reports on what that could mean for the city.
A longer convention with more national and international interest would be good for local businesses supplying the event. But Cleveland’s police union president, Steve Loomis, says it would put added strain on officers providing security.
“We’re going to be stretched as thin as you can possibly be stretched during the scheduled convention, so that would be bad news for us; we would not like that. These guys are going to be on 12-hour shifts in very difficult situations, very stressful situations in the middle of summer, so that would not be a good thing for us.”
Loomis says Cleveland has just over 1,200 officers, and he is concerned that the estimated 2,400 needed to provide enough security will not be reached. He says some cities across the country that committed to send officers have pulled out, and the total number now stands at about 1,800. City spokesman Dan Williams says it’s too early to comment on the impact of a longer convention.
