Charlotte, N.C., Police Chief Rodney Monroe he faces his biggest test yet, says the Charlotte Observer. His job is to work with the U.S. Secret Service to keep Charlotte safe during the Democratic National Convention in September, requiring an extraordinary level of planning and coordination never before undertaken in the city. If something goes wrong – whether it's an unprecedented terrorist attack or the mass arrests that tarnished St. Paul's image in 2008 – Monroe will be judged.
“When you think of the number of eyes internationally that will be on Charlotte, that the president of the United States will be right here in this city, and when you think of all the security needed to ensure his safety and all the citizens of this community that need to be protected, there is no heavier weight than Chief Rodney Monroe will bear,” said Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon. “He's calm under pressure,” said Isaac Fulwood Jr., a former police colleague of Monroe in Washington, D.C., now chairman of the U.S. Parole Commission. “He communicates well. He's not afraid to talk with people, listen and hear their advice.”