The Latest: Open carry law will be upheld during convention

CLEVELAND – The Latest on security details for the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland (all times local):

4 p.m.

Cleveland’s police chief says he prefers people not walk around with guns in public during next week’s Republican National Convention but he is required to uphold Ohio’s open carry law. The law allows legal gun owners to openly carry firearms in public.

Chief Calvin Williams said Wednesday police have previously dealt with events at which people openly carried firearms.

The four-day convention begins Monday and will feature presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. It’s expected to attract large groups of protesters.

The open carry issue has risen to the forefront after the ambush shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas last week.

Williams says he has talked to police chiefs from around the country about additional steps needed to keep officers safe. He says Dallas was a “wakeup call” for police around the country.

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10:15 a.m.

Cleveland and the U.S. Secret Service are planning a briefing on security preparations for next week’s Republican National Convention.

The briefing is scheduled for Wednesday. Ongoing concerns about potential protest violence during the convention in downtown Cleveland have been heightened by last week’s ambush shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers. They were killed at the end of a march protesting the fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Cleveland police have been mostly tight-lipped about security preparations. The Secret Service is overseeing those plans and is responsible for security in the area surrounding Quicken Loans Arena, which is serving as the convention hall.

Police officials have said thousands of officers from Cleveland and other agencies will provide downtown security for the convention, which begins Monday.