No tennis balls at the Republican Convention
Monday marks the beginning of the Republican Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump will likely be chosen as the party's presidential nominee. The city's police and security forces are on high alert.
As big as the Super Bowl
Security-wise, the convention in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena is just as big for police as the President's inauguration in Washington D.C. or mega sports events like the Super Bowl.
Head of the show
Edward Tomba, Cleveland's vice police chief, is the head of security outside the arena. That includes coordinating 500 local police and 2,700 officers from other parts of the US who are in town for the convention. Inside the arena, the US Secret Service is responsible for security.
Authorized persons only
During the convention, Cleveland is divided into several zones by fences. There's the zone for the 2,472 delegates, a press center for 15,000 journalists as well as a so-called "event zone" for protests, which will see rallies organized by Trump supporters as well as anti-Trump protests.
Working the night shift
Hundreds of workers set up fences over the weekend - mostly at night. This way, organizers had hoped to avoid obstructing traffic.
Keeping the streets safe by bike
Around 80 police officers are biking around downtown Cleveland. The city wants to be able to react quickly, especially if protesters take to the streets without a permit or outside the zones allocated to them.
In and out of uniform
There's a strong police presence downtown at all hours, come rain or shine. In addition to that, an unknown number of officers in plain clothes are also on duty.
Thousands of protesters expected
No one knows exactly how many people are coming. But Cleveland is expecting thousands of protesters, including those willing to use violence.
Police tactic: de-escalation
The relationship between police and the population in the US is currently strained, to say the least. That's why politicians in Cleveland made the conscious decision to have the officers appear as peaceful as possible. One example: police here are close to protesters without crowding around them.
Omnipresent Secret Service
They're usually wearing black: members of US intelligence who are stationed in front of and inside the Quicken Loans Arena. Their job is it to protect the delegates, high-ranking politicians, artists and athletes who will speak at the convention.
IDs, please
Inside the arena, thousands of volunteers are supposed to keep the show running smoothly. Only people who registered beforehand are let in.
Tennis balls banned, guns allowed
Police unions have criticized for a long time that their officers aren't sufficiently trained and equipped. Others complain that bringing fireworks, knives, gas masks, bottles and tennis balls into the protest zones is prohibited while registered gun owners are allowed to bring their firearms.