If you were anywhere in downtown during the Republican National Convention, you were probably in the vicinity of Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams.
There he was, leading a crew of dozens of bicycle officers who used their bikes as mobile barricades; restraining a well-known conspiracy theorist on Public Square after an argument pushed the crowd into a frenzy; hugging a protester; praying alongside Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton supporters.
The career Cleveland police officer seemed always to be at the center of everything. His cool presence and steady leadership, along with a “soft” approach by the more than 3,000 police officers under his command helped, in some ways, to reshape the national perception of Cleveland’s police department, and perhaps the city itself. Read more…