Pittsburgh police readying for G-20 summit

PITTSBURGH, July 15 (UPI) -- Pittsburgh officials say police are undergoing specialized training to provide security at the city's upcoming Group of 20 summit of industrialized nations.

The officials said most of the Police Department's nearly 900 officers will take part in the training by Center for Domestic Preparedness instructors as the city prepares for September's summit, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Wednesday.

Shannon Arledge, a public affairs specialist at the center, said the course on Managing Civil Actions in Threat Incidents will teach officers how best to respond to the possible protests during the summit.

"The ... training prepares law enforcement for crowd control and unlawful protest," Arledge said.

An unspecified number of Pittsburgh police officers have also received training from Combined Tactical Systems, a company specialized in equipment used in crowd control efforts.

The Post-Gazette said as many as 4,000 officers may be on hand during the summit, which Mayor Luke Ravenstahl estimates could cost the city at least $10 million in public safety costs.