Republican National Convention Security Project - An Evaluation of the Policing and Security at the 1980 Republican National Convention, Detroit, Michigan, July 13-18, 1981 - Final Report

• NCJ Number: 82030
• Author(s): W L Hart
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 397 pages
• Grant Number(s): 80-TA-AX-0005; 29355-1A75
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Michigan Office of Criminal Justice
• Corporate Author: Detroit Police Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This document is the final report and evaluation of the project to provide security for the Republican National Convention held in Detroit during July 14-18, 1980.

Abstract

It is based on the detailed analysis of thousands of convention-related documents generated by law enforcement officials and numerous public and private agencies that monitored various activities during the convention. Extensive interviews were also conducted with a broad cross-section of officers from the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan Department of State Police, and the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, as well as with private experts. The report covers Detroit's selection as host city and its characteristics, both advantageous and detrimental, for fulfilling this role. Subsequent activities are then reported, beginning with preliminary planning, convention planning, implementation and execution of the security plan, and postconvention activities. Among the convention planning concerns were selection of command and task force personnel, command operations center planning, equipment acquisition, training, computer operations, and others. Implementation of the security plan involved motorcade planning, community relations, demonstration liaison, communications, and public information units, as well as hotel security, special events and dignitary security units, investigative and intelligence units, logistics, and involvement of the private and public sector. The effort is eluded for the cooperation of the city's government and business community, its flexibility in meeting last-minute demands, its exemplary administration by the task force commander (chief of police), and the involvement of line officers in the planning for their respective units. Maps, charts, and graphs are provided.