Columbus, Ohio police on security detail at Republican National Convention

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Though the Republican National Convention (RNC) is happening hundreds of miles away in Milwaukee, law enforcement from central Ohio is helping with security for the massive event.

“It is something that every police officer when you’re tapped on the shoulder by another agency, you have the opportunity to go and represent your agency, we take a lot of pride in it," Pete Casuccio, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 9, said.

There are 35-40 members of the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) assisting in Milwaukee, according to Casuccio and CPD. Casuccio said there's a CPD incident commander, front line officers, dialogue officers, and bike officers. The RNC started just two days after the attempted assassination of former President Trump.

"I have the utmost confidence in all of the officers who the lodge represents that we are always hyper-vigilant and we’re very well trained," Casuccio said. "I think that their professionalism and their vigilance will be heightened, but there was never a doubt in what they were going to do."

Casuccio said CPD members have helped at conventions and inaugurations in the past. Harry Trombitas, a retired FBI special agent, said it's common for agencies from around the country to help with events like the RNC. Forty troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) are also assisted, according to OSHP.

“You only have a finite number of officers to work with and sometimes the requirements, especially in a big event like this, require substantially more people than you have available, so you count on your partners," he said.

Michael Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, is a delegate at the convention. On Monday morning, he said the attempted assassination was the number one issue being discussed.

"I think you’re going to see a softer, gentler approach to tackling these issues based on what happened because, at the end of the day, it was a wakeup call for America that we are better than this, we are better than what happened on Saturday, as a people," he said.

CPD's work at the RNC is federally funded, according to CPD and Casuccio.