Chicago police say they have recruited officers from several cities across the country to assist in handling protesters expected for this weekend's NATO summit.

Officers from Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Charlotte, N.C., will join Illinois state troopers and suburban police in keeping demonstrations from turning violent, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.

Milwaukee said it is sending 100 officers while Philadelphia has offered 68 members of its police force.

The number of police coming to Chicago from Charlotte-Mecklenburg was not immediately available.

Chicago Police spokesman Melissa Stratton refused to reveal how many out-of-state officers were expected or why those three cities were chosen, the newspaper said.

Stratton said utilizing out-of-state officers for special security events is not unusual.

Last month the Sun-Times reported that as many as 500 Illinois State Police officers would assist Chicago in handling the NATO summit. (c) UPI