CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Call it a dry run.
Over the past few months, there have been many events in uptown Charlotte, but the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is making sure next week is a real learning experience.
"It’s really more about how we do business,” said Deputy Chief Harold Medlock. “About how we command an event.”
Next week, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball tournaments and other events come to town. Police say they’ll be working hard, but it will be hard to tell that they are actually practicing.
"Will you or will the general public see any real difference in the way we go about our business? Probably not,” said Medlock.
The department has been training for months. Next week the command and control structures will be put to the test, and officers who don't have it will get valuable experience.
"It allows us to test some of our officers who are not used to working in large crowds,” Medlock told NewsChannel 36.
Medlock is also hoping that the new command center will be open.
"It’s going to allow us to put the entire realm of not just law enforcement but the key agencies across the city, the state and federal agencies in one room,” he said.
Look for complete coverage of the Democratic National Convention and its impact on Charlotte on WCNC.com.
