Convention Security: Charlotte Police in Tampa to Watch

TAMPA, Fla. - The Democratic National Convention in Charlotte is only a week away and because it follows the Republican National Convention so closely, Charlotte police are in Tampa this week observing and training.

Charlotte Police Chief Rodney Monroe told ABC News that he and 10 officers made the trip to the Republican convention to get a preview of the landscape of a national convention.

"We just wanted to come down and take a look at operations and just kind of get a feel for things and pretty much just get a head start on it," Monroe said.

The police departments have been sharing plans for months because the conventions come back-to-back. Charlotte police wanted to observe Tampa's security perimeter around the convention center.

On Monday, Monroe visited and walked with Tampa police at a protest that began in Perry Harvey Sr. Park and and ended with a march through downtown Tampa. With Tropical Storm Isaac passing in the Gulf of Mexico, police said the march drew about 300 people.

Charlotte is a more compact city, but Monroe said there will be greater security issues with the White House in town.

"When you're hosting the convention with the sitting president, there are different challenges, there are specific protocols that go along with handling the president of the United States," Monroe said.

Tampa police chief Jane Castor said she didn't know if coordination was typical between cities hosting conventions but after knowing each other, they decided it could only help to communicate efforts.