Military vehicles and SWAT teams in downtown Milwaukee? Relax. It's a law enforcement conference

The military vehicles and police activity in downtown Milwaukee Wednesday morning is tied to a national SWAT team conference.

Police were blocking lanes of W. Kilbourn Ave. in front of the Hyatt hotel early Wednesday as conference participants prepared to load buses. Conference attendees, some in tactical gear, were loading buses to be taken to training sessions.

There were several SWAT team trucks nearby, drawing attention from people coming into downtown on their way to work.

The activity is part of the annual Law Enforcement Operations Conference & Trade Show being held at the Wisconsin Center convention hall. The event began Sunday and runs through Friday.

Among the sessions at the conferences were "debriefings" on mass shootings in Las Vegas, Aurora, Colorado and Norway.

A session Wednesday is being led by Brian Murphy, the former Oak Creek police officer who was the first responder at the scene of the 2012 Sikh Temple shooting where six people died. Murphy was shot 15 times during the exchange with the assailant and was honored for his heroic efforts.

The description of Murphy's session says "Topics covered will include a history of the White Supremacist Movement, department lead-up to active shooter events, mindset and preparation to survive deadly force encounters, and PTSD and its effect on families."

The conference website says the event is "jam-packed with hands-on training, seminars, incident debriefs and opportunities to network with leaders in the law enforcement community," the conference's website says. "Our two-day trade show features more than 250 vendors showcasing the latest technologies and products."

The site also says: "This rugged and unique city, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, is the perfect backdrop for the NTOA’s premier conference."