Cleveland PD’s New Riot Gear Only Comes in Two Sizes

Cleveland PD is getting their new riot gear in ahead of the Republican National Convention. Unfortunately, the riot gear only comes in two sizes. Officers are quickly finding out that if you are too big or too small, you don’t get riot gear that fits.

Fox8 Cleveland reports:

The union has been screaming for the city to speed up the process of buying new equipment for the Republican National Convention. But the union president says the riot gear comes in two sizes. Steve Loomis says, “I’m not trying to be obstructionist here, but this stuff has gotta fit.” He added, “We have some smaller police officers. We have some larger police officers that this stuff is never, ever, gonna be able to fit.”

Officers have also expressed concern about trouble wearing their gun belts with the new gear.

Cleveland city leaders had said they hoped to have all of the new security equipment in by the end of May. But that hasn’t happened.

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Last week, Cleveland city leaders said again and again, don’t worry. Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said, “We will be prepared. We are prepared, and we are trained.”

As for the concerns with the new gear, Dan Williams, Director of Media Relations, said in an e-mail, “The vendor is assisting in the fitting, and to my knowledge, no complaints, so far.”

Though the union president says, “What we get in is what we’re gonna be stuck with, and I’m gonna have guys and gals out there that aren’t gonna have equipment that’s gonna fit them.”

With just over one month until the convention, Cleveland PD better figure this out soon. If they aren’t able to get the right gear, then officers with ill-fitting gear need to stay off of the front lines where there are sure to be violent Black Lives Matter anti-Trump protests.