Open Carry = recipe for disaster. At convention, or anywhere else.
Cleveland's police chief said Wednesday he would prefer that people not bring firearms to the Republican National Convention that kicks off next week — but said it is legal to do so.
"It's the law in this state and as police chief, I'm bound to uphold the law in this state," Police Chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference Tuesday.
More than 5,000 police officers are expected to be on hand when the Republican convention begins Monday.
The party's controversial candidate, Donald Trump, is expected to be nominated at the convention, and the city is bracing for protests.
Three hundred police officers on bikes will be patrolling, and part of their job will be separating potentially hostile groups from one another, a police official confirmed.
There will be two rings of security outside the convention. No guns will be allowed in a secure zone inside the convention site and right outside it, an area controlled by the Secret Service.
In the larger area outside the event, guns will be permitted in accordance with Ohio state law, but other items — including knives, paintball guns, and umbrellas with sharp tips, will be prohibited, officials said.
