Jeh Johnson
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson speaks before of a U.S. Senate panel in June.
(J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- High-ranking federal officials said Thursday they are concerned about the possibility of violence at next week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told a congressional panel in Washington, D.C. he plans to travel to Cleveland on Friday to personally inspect on-site security. He said he plans to do the same the following Friday in Philadelphia, the site of the Democratic National Convention.
"I am concerned about the prospects of protests getting out of hand," Johnson said, according to a video of the hearing, held by the House Homeland Security Committee. "I am concerned about the possibility of violence."
(A video of the hearing is below. Security at the Cleveland convention is discussed beginning at the 34:00 minute mark, and again at 1:32:00.)
That's why, Johnson said, Homeland Security is sending 3,000 employees from a variety of agencies to both conventions. In addition, 1,000 U.S. government employees will be headed to both conventions, he said. These personnel will join the Ohio National Guard and thousands of local and state law enforcement watching over the event, he said.
"I think we have to be concerned about things getting out of hand, definitely," Johnson said. "But there is a lot of planning and security in place."
FBI Director James Comey told the committee that high-profile events like the one in Cleveland could potentially be an enticing target for a domestic terrorist attack.
"It's a reason why we have hundreds of people focused on intelligence and deployed in Cleveland," Comey said.
Of particular concern is Ohio's status as an open-carry state, Johnson said, meaning people are able to openly carry rifles and other long guns, as long as they don't threaten anyone with them.
"It does present a challenging situation, very plainly," Johnson said.
Police officials in Cleveland say they are confident the GOP convention, scheduled for July 18-21, will be safe. They too have raised concerns over the possibility that people may openly carry firearms into the city during the event. Last week's fatal shooting of five police officers by a politically motivated gunman in Dallas particularly has put law enforcement on high alert.
"There will be enough law enforcement officers to take care of whatever happens," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams told cleveland.com editors and reporters on Wednesday.
"We have policies and tactics in place to deal with this issue," Williams said.
The Republican National Convention is expected to attract 50,000 people, plus a significant number of protesters.
As part of the convention security plan, overseen by the U.S. Secret Service, there will be a citywide parking ban and a litany of street closures, including the nighttime closure of Interstate 90 near downtown. The Secret Service also plans to build a high-security perimeter surrounding Quicken Loans Arena -- the main convention site -- that will include concrete barriers and metal fences.
Workers have begun to set up fences throughout downtown, as well as remove trash cans and mail boxes for security reasons.
In addition, the city has imposed a heightened-security "event zone" throughout Downtown Cleveland. Within the zone, people will be barred from carrying a variety of legal weapons, as well as common items -- such as rope, string, large backpacks, squirt guns and tennis balls -- that police say have been used to hide weapons, block streets or to foil arrests.