Greensboro Police Add Officers After Week's Protests

The Greensboro Police Department is preparing for more reaction to high-profile cases of deadly police force across the country. 

A protest earlier this week in Greensboro blocked traffic in a part of downtown just hours after a grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer in the death of a black man in New York City, one of several recent cases that have prompted outrage. 

Greensboro Deputy Police Chief James Hinson says they're ready for more demonstrations.  The police didn't make any arrests at the Wednesday night protest, and Hinson says they plan to take the same approach with future events, even as tensions run high between law enforcement and the public.

"Our officers must be professional and we must be compassionate but we also must enforce the law," says Hinson. "We'll have to have a balancing act with that because we don't want to overreact but we don't want to underreact as we go into any situation. We want the outcome to be positive for all people in involved, that includes protesters, the community and just everyone as a whole."

Hinson says they don't know if more protests are planned but they are monitoring different places across the city and will step up patrols this weekend. Hinson adds that if that's not enough, they are prepared to bring in more officers if needed.