Police response to NATO protesters last weekend in Chicago has lessons that can be applied here, local law enforcement officials say.

Officers from several McHenry County police departments were sent downtown for the summit as part of the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System. Five mobile field forces were formed, one of which was assigned to McCormick Place and the rest strategically placed around Chicago in case the situation got out of control.

It was the largest deployment in the history of ILEAS, which was formed in response to the Sept. 11 attacks to help local departments combine resources.