Cleveland Buying $20 Mln in Riot Gear for GOP Convention
City officials are planning for intense crowd control for this year's convention.
In preparation for the 2016 Republican National Convention, which begins July 18, the City of Cleveland is buying ample police gear -- $20 million worth, according to city council documents.
Although these kinds of expenditures are fairly typical for cities hosting national conventions, as Vox points out, Cleveland is gearing up for the worst-case scenario -- particularly if it's a brokered convention.
Cleveland and Philadelphia, which is hosting the Democratic National Convention, each received $50 million in federal assistance to prepare for the events. Cleveland plans to spend the funds on all sorts of police gear, including helmets, chest protectors, auto-lock batons and hay for police horses.
An estimated 3,500 additional police officers from other cities will join Cleveland's police force, about 1,500 strong, for the event.
As the GOP convention approaches, many are planning on massive protests, which may turn violent. Rallies and events for Donald Trump have seen their fair share of violent outbursts. Trump and Ted Cruz have both said a brokered convention could result in a heated and contentious atmosphere.
Top photo: Cleveland Police Harley-Davidson motorcycle (Raymond Wambsgans / Flickr)