Charlotte police train for 2012 DNC event

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Police in Charlotte, N.C., began training with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to prepare for the 2012 Democratic National Convention, officials said.

The three-day course, offered by the agency's Center for Domestic Preparedness, includes a mix of classroom and field instruction, The Charlotte Observer reported Monday.

Security preparations for President Barack Obama and the expected 35,000 delegates and visitors who will gather in Charlotte next year for the DNC has picked up during the last few weeks, federal officials said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department also began lining up police partners, officials said, sending letters to other police departments.

The Charlotte police force is expected to nearly double in size by adding an estimated 2,400 to 3,400 officers for the four-day convention that begins Sept. 3, 2012, the Observer said.

Without revealing specifics of the training, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department spokesman Robert Tufano said the goal is to work with multiple agencies to develop "a seamless security plan that will create a secure environment" for the dignitaries, participants and the public.

"There is a tremendous amount of advance planning and coordination in the areas of venue security, air space security, training, communications and credentialing," Tufano said.