THE RIOTS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE EXPECTED TO COME WITH DONALD TRUMP’S CORONATION IN CLEVELAND DIDN’T MATERIALIZE. INSTEAD THE ATMOSPHERE HAS BEEN ... CALM. LOTS OF POLICE CAME FROM OUT OF STATE TO HELP WITH SECURITY. COMMANDER MICHAEL EVELETH, AUSTIN PD — We were very nervous about coming. Our friends and family were very nervous about us coming. But since coming, all we have seen is appreciation, people thanking us, shaking our hands. Protests have been peaceful. // It’s nothing like we expected. Cleveland as a city did an excellent job preparing for this. It is unprecedented to have this many officers in one place. // I have heard a solid number over 3000, and up to 5000. WITH $50 MILLION IN FEDERAL SECURITY SPENDING, THE CITY DEPLOYED THOUSANDS OF POLICE FROM DOZENS OF DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, FROM CALIFORNIA TO FLORIDA, DELAWARE TO KANSAS, EVEN A MOUNTED POLICE UNIT FROM FORT WORTH. SGT. MIKE CAGLE, FORT WORTH PD — The citizens of Cleveland have been completely opposite of every rumor I heard. They’ve been great, very welcoming. FOR THE MOST PART, THE PUBLIC HAS EMBRACED THEM. THERE’S BEEN LITTLE VIOLENCE AND FEW ARRESTS, ONLY 24 COMPARED TO HUNDREDS OF CONVENTION-RELATED ARRESTS IN SOME PAST CONVENTIONS. MOST OF THE TWO DOZEN ARRESTS CAME DURING A FLAG-BURNING INCIDENT ON WEDNESDAY. SHAWN WITTE — The cops snatched me up and searched my bag, stopped me for a minute and questioned me. But they realized that I love my country. I’m here to defend the flag, not to hurt it. SO WHAT HAPPENED? ONE THING IS CLEAR: THERE WERE FEWER PROTESTERS THAN MANY EXPECTED, AND POLICE WAY OUTNUMBERED PROTESTERS, AND AT POINTS CIRCLED AND OVERWHELMED THEM. SWAT OFFICER — One guy said, ‘just go home, because we feel like rats in a cage. We can’t move around anywhere.’ I get it. But we’re here to make sure everything stays good. FEDERAL AGENT — Have there been any problems? It’s kind of the egg or the chicken thing. As long as it’s working, why question it, right. FEDERAL AGENTS TRACKED PROTEST GROUPS BEFORE THE CONVENTION, AND OFFICERS HERE EFFECTIVELY CORRALLED RIVAL PROTEST GROUPS WITH BARRICADES AND SCORES OF NEW BICYCLES. EVELETH — They had a big crowd, and they separated everybody so that everybody could express their first amendment rights, but that they weren’t in a position where they could get physical with each other. They could keep the peace ... just by keeping everybody a safe distance from each other. IN GENERAL, THE MOOD OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION WAS SUNNY, MORE LIKE A DAY IN THE PARK COMPARED TO WHAT MANY EXPECTED, 1968 IN CHICAGO.