St. Paul police say 3,500 officers will be ready for RNC
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St. Paul police say they are close to reaching their goal of recruiting 3,500 officers to provide security for the Republican National Convention.
The officers are coming from across Minnesota, and law enforcement agencies from neighboring states have been invited also.
But St. Paul Police Federation President Dave Titus said 3,500 officers may not be enough. Titus says he would prefer having about 6,000 officers on hand.
"Of course we're concerned. Our officers are going to be on the front line. Your normal, everyday protester is going to be fine; they're going to come out here and lawfully relay their message, and god bless them. I'm glad they will. The problem is going to be, how many troublemakers are going to come? It doesn't take many to cause a large-scale problem," Titus said.
The officers will be paid time and a half. A $50 million federal grant will cover the cost of officer pay and other security expenses.
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