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Cleveland airport bolsters security plan for RNC

Posted at 5:19 PM, Feb 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-05 17:21:13-05
CLEVELAND, OH.- With thousands of people coming to Cleveland for the Republican National Convention, security is a top priority. Cleveland Hopkins airport officials already working on special measures to keep crowds and candidates safe.
 
About fifty-thousand people are expected to come through the airport during the convention.
The commissioner of the Cleveland Hopkins airport, Fred Szabo, said they're ready for them. 
 
"It's going to be safe. I guarantee that. There's a lot of efforts to make sure of that."
 
Some of those efforts? Two special committees led by the Secret Service, focused on security at the airport and in the sky. 
 
Local and federal agencies including police, secret service, and FBI will team up to patrol the airport, where they'll have a mobile security command center. 
 
Another security concern the committee is focused on- drones.
 
Commissioner Szabo said drones won't be allowed near the convention because they can be extremely dangerous. 
 
"Drones can carry a payload of up to fifty pounds, you can put an explosive device on a drone. And of course you have a camera and GPS system, you could fly a drone into an area and detonate a bomb on it."
 
There's an ordinance being introduced later this month that would add to drone restrictions in Cleveland city limits, not just for the RNC. 
 
More info on proposed ordinance:
-Departments of Port Control and Public Safety jointly drafted legislation
-Proposed ordinance will require drones to be issued a city permit
-Drone operator must be in full FAA compliance
-FAA will rely on local law enforcement to maintain compliance